DOE Grant: Interlune received a $365,000 U.S. Department of Energy grant to increase the supply of Helium-3 from domestic sources.
Helium-3 Separation: The project will focus on separating Helium-3 from domestic Helium using energy-efficient cooling techniques without producing additional tritium.
Collaborative Work: Interlune is working with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to advance novel cooling methods based on the magnetocaloric effect.
Interlune, a natural resources company, has secured a $365,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a technology that separates Helium-3 from domestic Helium supplies. This approach eliminates the need for tritium, a byproduct of nuclear weapons that decays into Helium-3. Currently, tritium decay is the main source of Helium-3, but it is insufficient to meet rising demand. Helium-3 is more abundant on the Moon, and Interlune aims to utilize that resource in the future.
Interlune is collaborating with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to develop a method of cooling liquid Helium to extremely low temperatures using the magnetocaloric effect. This process is both energy-efficient and cost-effective, allowing for the separation of Helium-3 from Helium. The project aligns with the DOE Office of Isotope R&D and Production’s mission to enhance domestic isotope supply chains and reduce reliance on foreign sources.
"This grant from the DOE Isotope Program provides Interlune with the opportunity to increase the Helium-3 supply in the short-term while advancing technology to harvest the abundant Helium-3 on the Moon soon after." – Rob Meyerson, Co-founder and CEO, Interlune
Demand for Helium-3 has surged due to its use in dilution refrigerators, critical for the development of superconducting quantum computing. These systems require extremely low millikelvin temperatures for qubit processing, and Helium-3 plays a crucial role in reaching these temperatures. An increased supply of Helium-3 will also support border security, medical imaging, and fusion energy sectors.
Interlune’s long-term goal is to commercialize Helium-3 sourced from the Moon. The company has already received a NASA TechFlights grant to advance lunar soil processing technology and raised $18 million in seed funding. Interlune plans to launch several Moon missions later this decade, focusing on the sustainable extraction of natural resources from space.
Founded in 2020, Interlune is a Seattle-based natural resources company committed to the sustainable extraction of resources from space. The company aims to provide valuable resources from the Moon’s surface to commercial and government customers.
