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Space

How a start-up plans to mine the moon for a rare form of helium

A private moon mission planned for 2027 will be the first step towards commercial lunar mining of rare and expensive helium-3

By Alex Wilkins

17 March 2025

Artist’s impression of a future Interlune moon mining mission

Interlune

A space start-up will launch a moon mining mission in 2027, with the eventual goal of delivering a rare form of helium that is essential for some quantum computers and future nuclear fusion reactors. If successful, it will be the first commercial mission of its kind.

Helium-3, a form of helium with one neutron – as opposed to normal helium-4, which has two – is extremely rare on Earth, at a ratio of roughly one part per million…

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