Why Lunar Helium-3 Mining Still Can't Compete With Earth
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When it comes to Helium-3, the biggest cost divide is between Earth and the Moon.
Potential sources range from tritium decay and terrestrial helium wells on Earth to lunar regolith on the Moon.
Today, Earth-based sources remain far easier and cheaper to access.
This graphic,created by Visual Capitalist's Cody Goodin partnership withPulsar Helium, compares major potential sources of Helium-3 by cost, scalability, and accessibility.
It’s part three of four in theHelium 3: From Theory to Opportunityseries, delivering key He-3 insights for investors tracking deep tech, critical minerals, and advanced computing.
Looking at cost alone, Earth-based sources currently have a major advantage over Moon-based He-3.
Source:Pulsar Helium; CRS R41419 (Shea & Morgan, 2010); Niechcia? et al., Energies (2020); Thunder Said Energy; NASA OIG; CLPS contract data; USGS Keszthelyi et al.
Values reflect order?of?magnitude estimates from market pricing (tritium), thermodynamic separation floors (Pulsar), and CLPS?based transport floors (lunar), using simplified assumptions for grade, throughput, and infrastructure.
Tritium decay is an existing Earth-based source, tied tonuclear weapons stockpiles.
The tritium used in warheads decays into He-3 and is recovered during processing; however, supply is limited by nuclear stockpiles and government control.
Lunar regolith refers to theMoon’s surface material, where He-3 is believed to have accumulated from solar wind particles over time.
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