99% Pure Helium-3 Produced From Domestic Sources, Interlune Reports

Interlune has achieved 99% purity in helium-3 production using domestically sourced helium and its newly developed Cold Capture technology, a significant advancement given the isotope’s scarcity on Earth and importance for advanced computing. The company demonstrated the technology in early 2025 and subsequently received an AFWERX Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Direct-to-Phase II contract in November 2025 to scale production for use by the U.S. Air Force in research and development programs. According to Interlune CEO Rob Meyerson, “Every liter of helium produced in the world contains trace amounts of helium-3,” clarifying that the innovation lies not in finding the resource, but in efficiently separating it from existing helium supplies. Interlune estimates that widespread deployment of Cold Capture could triple current U.S. helium-3 production, addressing immediate demand and enabling lunar harvesting of the isotope.

Cold Capture Technology Separates Helium-3 from Domestic Helium Sources

The ability to isolate helium-3 from existing helium supplies represents a significant shift in resource strategy, as Interlune has demonstrated the production of 99% pure helium-3 from domestically sourced Grade A helium using its novel Cold Capture technology. This achievement is particularly noteworthy given the extreme rarity of helium-3 on Earth and its increasing importance in fields like quantum computing and national defense applications. This investment underscores the U.S. Air Force’s direct interest in securing a domestic supply of this critical isotope, which they utilize in research and development programs involving superconducting quantum computers. Interlune estimates that Cold Capture production could generate up to 2.5 kilograms annually if integrated across existing helium liquefaction facilities that processed approximately 81 billion liters of gaseous and Grade A helium in 2025. The process itself relies on cryogenic distillation, separating helium-3 from ordinary helium at temperatures approaching absolute zero.

According to Gary Lai, chief technology officer at Interlune, “Capturing helium-3 from existing helium sounds deceptively simple,” but the near-identical chemical properties of the two isotopes present a formidable engineering challenge. Cold Capture overcomes this by exploiting subtle physical differences at extremely low temperatures, allowing for scalable recovery of helium-3 suitable for commercial applications. This technology addresses a growing demand fueled by dilution refrigerators used to cool superconducting quantum computers to near-absolute-zero temperatures, and Interlune has already secured nearly $500 million in legally binding helium-3 purchase agreements with companies like Maybell Quantum and Bluefors. While focused on terrestrial supply, the technology is also intended to enable industrial-scale helium-3 harvesting from lunar regolith, furthering Interlune’s long-term vision for space resource utilization.