Interlune has introduced a prototype for its helium-3 harvester, a groundbreaking machine intended for mining on the moon.
“Operating machinery on the moon requires an entirely different level of reliability and performance,” stated Rob Meyerson, co-founder and CEO of the Seattle-based startup, as reported by Space.com.
The excavator is engineered to dig through 110 tons (about 100 metric tons) of lunar soil, known as regolith, each hour to extract helium-3, a potential energy source for future fusion reactors.
While helium-3 is scarce on Earth, experts believe it to be abundant on the moon.
“The rapid excavation needed for large-scale helium-3 harvesting has never been accomplished before, especially not this efficiently,” noted Gary Lai, co-founder and CTO of Interlune.
This innovative project emerged from a collaboration between Interlune and Vermeer, a 70-year-old company specializing in agricultural and industrial equipment.
“We are very satisfied with our testing results so far and eagerly anticipate the next stage of development,” Lai added.
The excavation represents the first of a planned four-step process to extract natural resources from space: excavate, sort, extract, and separate, according to Interlune.
After successful trials of a smaller version last year, the startup has moved forward with the construction of the full-scale prototype.
Helium-3 is viewed as a potentially revolutionary fuel source for various industries in the future, and discussions about obtaining it from the moon have gained traction for years.
Furthermore, efforts to mine this rare helium isotope have been initiated by the United States, China, and Japan.
