Blue Origin Ex-Workers Are Going To Mine Helium-3 On The Moon
Former top managers of the aerospace company Blue Origin founded the startup Interlune. It is assumed that it will mine helium-3 on the Moon, which is not found on Earth under natural conditions, but is necessary for the energy sector of the foreseeable future. The company has been quiet since its founding in 2022, but on Wednesday announced it intends to raise $15 million for its projects, in addition to the funds it previously received from business angels.
The amount of funding may seem small at first glance, but the consequences could potentially be very serious. The fact is that despite the active discussion of the “lunar economy,” most companies that have announced flights to the Moon plan to sell their services to participants in government contracts. That is, no creation of surplus value will occur and NASA will ultimately “pay the bills.” This “moon rush” is a lot like the California Gold Rush, but without the gold.
Harvesting helium-3 could change this situation by capitalizing on resources on the Moon. To extract helium-3, many technical problems will have to be solved. A method needs to be developed to extract gas from lunar regolith—the abrasive, rocky, mud-like material on the moon’s surface. Helium-3 then needs to be sent to Earth, which is currently not feasible. Finally, it will be necessary to organize a large and stable market for the mined isotope on Earth.
In the foreseeable future, it can be used in thermonuclear reactors, as well as in the creation of supercomputers, in medicine, etc. According to scientists, the prospects for using the isotope are still unclear, since it is not available in the volumes necessary for large-scale experiments. Regular deliveries will ensure the development of new projects.
