Lunar Helium-3 mining

Lunar Helium-3 mining involves extracting a rare isotope of helium—Helium-3—that has accumulated on the Moon's surface over billions of years. This isotope is embedded in lunar soil due to solar wind. Helium-3 is valuable because it could serve as a clean, efficient fuel for future nuclear fusion reactors, offering a potentially abundant energy source. Mining involves heating lunar regolith to release the trapped helium-3 gas, which is then collected and refined on Earth or in space. While technically challenging and costly, Helium-3 offers a promising path toward advanced nuclear energy with minimal radioactive waste.