Seattle-based space startup Interlune has unveiled a full-scale prototype of a moon-mining machine designed to harvest helium-3 from the lunar surface. The machine, developed in partnership with industrial equipment manufacturer Vermeer, marks a significant technological milestone in efforts to tap extraterrestrial resources. Capable of excavating 110 tons (100 metric tonnes) of lunar regolith per hour, the device aims to collect helium-3 — a rare isotope that could potentially revolutionize fusion energy production.
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“When you’re operating equipment on the moon, reliability and performance standards are at a new level,” said Rob Meyerson, Interlune’s co-founder and CEO. His statement highlights the extraordinary technical challenges involved in operating heavy equipment in the moon’s harsh and airless environment.
Why Helium-3 Matters
Helium-3 is considered a potential game-changer in the pursuit of clean energy. Unlike conventional nuclear fuels, helium-3 could be used in fusion reactors without producing harmful radioactive waste. However, the isotope is virtually nonexistent on Earth. Scientists believe the moon, having been bombarded by solar winds for billions of years, holds large quantities of helium-3 embedded in its surface layer.
“The high-rate excavation needed to harvest helium-3 from the moon in large quantities has never been attempted before, let alone with high efficiency,” said Gary Lai, Interlune’s co-founder and chief technology officer. The harvester prototype represents a bold attempt to change that.
Four-Step Harvesting Process
The moon-mining machine is just one part of a broader resource extraction strategy. Interlune envisions a four-step system: excavate, sort, extract, and separate. Excavation is the first and most physically demanding phase, especially in the moon’s low-gravity, high-radiation conditions. Interlune previously tested a smaller prototype before progressing to this full-scale version, indicating a steady move toward operational readiness.
The collaboration with Vermeer, a 70-year-old company known for agricultural and industrial machinery, has been central to this development. “We’ve been very pleased with the results of the test programme to date and look forward to the next phase of development,” Lai noted.
Challenges and Global Competition
Despite its promise, lunar helium-3 mining faces major hurdles. Extracting and transporting the isotope back to Earth would require enormous infrastructure, raising questions about economic viability. Ian Crawford, a professor of planetary science and astrobiology at Birkbeck, University of London, has voiced skepticism, pointing out in a 2021 interview that current Earth-based energy solutions remain far cheaper — for now.
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Nevertheless, interest in helium-3 mining has grown internationally. The United States, China, and Japan have all explored the potential of lunar resource extraction. Interlune and Vermeer are part of a larger ecosystem of companies and agencies laying the groundwork for a lunar economy. For example, DARPA’s LunA-10 initiative, launched in 2023, is actively seeking industrial solutions to sustain long-term lunar activity.