The American startup Interlune intends to organize the production of helium-3 on the moon by 2030. If all goes well, the company will become the first private firm capable of taking responsibility for extracting natural resources from the surface of a satellite and then sending them back to Earth.
The substance is an isotope of helium synthesized by the Sun and abundant on the Moon. The startup has partnered with Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and brought in Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmidt as its chief technology officer. In addition, even NASA is listed as a partner of the organization.
Interlune wants to put a test facility on the Moon by 2028, with the first work starting in 2030a. The company has already raised $18 million in funding, including $15 million from Seven Seven Six, the venture capital firm founded by the Reddit co-founder.
Helium-3 can be used on Earth for quantum computing and medical devices. The substance could also potentially be used as fuel for fusion reactors. It is carried to the Moon by the solar wind and remains in the soil. Helium-3 does not reach our planet because it is blocked by the magnetosphere.