The Crisis from Earth…
In the article “The Feasibility of Helium-3 Mining on the Moon,” scholars from Delft University of Technology (Netherlands) highlight that with fossil fuel depletion and rising global energy demands, the need for alternative energy sources is evident. As Earth's resources become scarcer, many have turned their attention to mining on the Moon…
When astronaut Harrison Schmitt set foot on the Moon on December 12, 1972, as part of Apollo 17, oil was traded at $3.60 per barrel, and oversized cars consumed premium, unleaded fuel tank after tank. The term “energy crisis” was unheard of at the time.
Thirty-seven years later, in 2009, no one had walked on the Moon for decades, global energy consumption had nearly doubled, oil reserves were depleting rapidly, and humanity was facing one of its greatest challenges: energy shortages.
As a trained geologist and former NASA astronaut, Schmitt believed he had a solution—Helium-3. He argued that fusion energy could help “meet the projected eightfold or greater increase in energy demand by 2050.”
Helium-3 is an isotope of Helium with two protons and one neutron.
In his 2006 book, “Return to the Moon,” Schmitt, the Apollo program’s geologist, made a compelling case for mining Helium-3 on our natural satellite as a viable fuel source for second-generation fusion power plants.
The idea of harnessing a clean and efficient energy source from the Moon has intrigued both science fiction and real-world researchers for decades. Unlike Earth, which is shielded by its magnetic field, the Moon has been bombarded by solar winds, depositing large amounts of Helium-3.
According to the European Space Agency (ESA), this isotope could enable safer nuclear energy production in fusion reactors since it is non-radioactive and does not produce hazardous waste.
For decades, scientists have been fascinated by Helium-3 and its potential as a nuclear fusion fuel. Fusion occurs naturally when two light atoms combine into a heavier one under extreme pressure and temperature—happening inside stars. However, humans have yet to build a fusion reactor powerful enough to initiate and sustain this reaction.
Helium-3 is an ultra-rare and highly expensive material on Earth. According to the European Space Agency, it holds exceptional promise because it generates significantly less radioactive and nuclear waste than other elements. Current nuclear fission processes release not only energy but also radiation, requiring spent nuclear fuel to be reprocessed into uranium, plutonium, and other waste.
This raises serious safety concerns, leading scientists to explore nuclear fusion instead of fission. Fusion does not produce radioactive waste, potentially offering a safer and more efficient energy source.
It is estimated that about 25 tons of Helium-3—equivalent to a fully loaded Space Shuttle cargo bay—could power the United States for a year at current energy consumption rates. This gives Helium-3 an estimated economic value of $3 billion per ton, according to Discovery.com.
Russia’s TASS news agency reported that in 2018, Dr. Kailasavadivoo Sivan, head of the Indian Space Research Organization, stated that theoretically, the amount of Helium-3 found on the Moon could sustain the world’s energy needs for at least 250 years.
The Lunar Race
Helium-3 is often cited as a primary reason for returning to the Moon.
According to Asia Times, a “covert mining race” for Helium-3 is unfolding in space between China, the U.S., and possibly Russia, as they vie for potential lunar resources.
At different times, Helium-3 extraction plans have been proposed by Russia, the U.S., and India. Currently, Helium-3 is not mined on Earth—it is a decay product of artificially produced Tritium, according to TASS.
The pursuit of Helium-3 was further fueled in 2022 when Chinese scientists announced the discovery of a rare Moon crystal, which could potentially provide abundant, limitless energy for Earth.
This crystal was found in lunar basalt particles collected from the Moon in 2020, making China the third country—after the U.S. and the Soviet Union—to discover a new lunar mineral.
Beijing’s Institute of Uranium Geology named this phosphate mineral Changesite-(Y) after Chang’e, the Moon goddess in Chinese mythology. The transparent crystal, nearly as wide as a human hair, was formed in a volcanic region of the Moon about 1.2 billion years ago.
One of the main elements found in this crystal is Helium-3. While extremely rare on Earth, it is believed to be relatively abundant on the Moon.
This discovery has prompted a race among private companies and nations with space agencies to mine the Moon for Helium-3.
China’s next Moon mission, Chang’e 6, is scheduled for 2024, aiming to collect samples from the Moon’s far side—the side that never faces Earth.
Meanwhile, NASA is making steady progress with its Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon. The U.S. plans to send two astronauts back to the lunar surface in 2024.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has also considered using the Moon as a stepping stone for deeper space missions.
Beyond traditional spacefaring nations, India has previously expressed interest in lunar surface mining.
Private companies are also exploring Moon-based energy sources, albeit by extracting water rather than Helium-3. The U.S.-based Shackleton Energy Company aims to provide propellant for missions across the solar system using lunar water.
Several teams competing for the Google Lunar X-Prize also view lunar mining as the ultimate goal of their lander missions.
Success: A Distant Dream?
Delft University of Technology estimates that to supply just 10% of the world's energy needs by 2040, 200 tons of Helium-3 would be required annually.
To achieve this, the rate of lunar regolith (soil) extraction would need to be 630 tons per second. This would require 1,700 to 2,000 Helium-3 mining vehicles if using the University of Wisconsin’s Mark III mining system.
Feasibility has been evaluated from three perspectives:
- Technically, the task is extremely challenging and complex. However, most of the necessary technology exists or could be developed within a reasonable timeframe.
- Politically and legally, current international treaties provide little to no framework for lunar mining operations.
- Financially, the mission would only generate net profits under the best-case scenario, requiring massive initial investments and medium-to-large-scale operations.
To make Helium-3 mining viable on the Moon, further research should focus on extraction methods and the cost of fusion power plants, as their impact outweighs all other mission factors.
While humanity has retrieved many resources from the Moon via manned and robotic missions, these efforts have never been easy due to the vast distance between Earth and the Moon.
For instance, Earth's oceans contain an estimated 45,000 to 1.5 million tons of gold. However, because gold is widely available, its extraction cost far exceeds its actual value.
Similarly, the cost of transporting Helium-3 from the Moon would be enormous due to its low concentration and the immense distance involved.
Aleksandr Bloshenko, Executive Director for Science and Research at Roscosmos (Russia), noted that Helium-3 fusion requires temperatures reaching 1 billion degrees Celsius. He does not rule out the possibility that humanity may one day develop the technology to achieve such fusion.
Could regular Moon missions and advanced lunar mining systems ultimately solve our energy crisis? Only time will tell.
