Interlune, in partnership with Vermeer, continues to make strides in lunar resource utilization, showcasing a full-scale prototype of their lunar excavator in May 2025. This machine is engineered to extract helium-3 from the moon, a potential fuel source for future fusion reactors.
The excavator is designed to process approximately 100 metric tons of lunar regolith per hour. This capability is crucial for the efficient harvesting of helium-3. The collaboration with Vermeer, an experienced manufacturer of agriculture and industrial equipment, ensures the excavator's reliability and performance under demanding lunar conditions.
Interlune has secured agreements with the U.S. Department of Energy and Maybell Quantum Industries to supply lunar helium-3 by 2029. The company plans to send a prototype extractor to the Moon in 2027 and aims to establish a pilot plant on the lunar surface by 2029 to begin processing and shipping helium-3 back to Earth. This initiative aligns with broader efforts to develop a lunar economy, such as DARPA's LunA-10 study.
The company's roadmap includes three missions over the next five years, starting with Crescent Moon at the end of 2025, followed by Prospect Moon and Harvest Moon. These missions aim to test hardware and demonstrate the process of extracting helium-3 and returning it to Earth.