Business · Trade · 1 day ago
U.S. funds lunar helium-3 research as Canada leaves resource untapped
NASA paid Seattle-based startup Interlune US$6.9 million to build equipment for a lunar mission.
The equipment will dig up moon soil, heat it and measure how much helium-3 it contains.
Interlune aims to learn whether the resource can be extracted, and has purchase orders worth close to half a billion dollars from quantum companies and U.S. government agencies.
Helium-3 is described as incredibly rare, but Canada has it at the Darlington nuclear site near Toronto.
The story argues that Canada is not making strategic use of this resource.
Stockpiling it could give Canada leverage in trade talks, but no such stockpiling is under way.
The next step for Interlune is to send its equipment to the moon and collect data on helium-3 concentrations.
NASA paid Seattle-based startup Interlune US$6.9 million to build hardware to study helium-3 concentrations in lunar soil.
Interlune has secured close to half a billion dollars in binding purchase orders from U.S. government agencies and quantum companies.
Canada has helium-3 at the Darlington nuclear facility, according to the Financial Post article.
The article argues Canada is not using the resource as a strategic asset and is missing potential revenue and trade leverage.
- Who
- NASA and Seattle-based startup Interlune are pursuing lunar helium-3; Canada has helium-3 at Darlington.
- What
- NASA paid Interlune US$6.9 million to build lunar hardware to measure helium-3 concentrations. Canada is not yet using its Darlington helium-3 as a strategic asset.
- When
- The article says NASA paid Interlune this spring; it does not specify the year.
- Where
- The lunar mission would study lunar soil; Canada’s helium-3 is at Darlington, just outside Toronto.
- Why
- The article says helium-3 could be a strategic resource and provide Canada with revenue and trade-negotiation leverage.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Canada doesn’t need to fly to the moon for helium-3. We can drive to Darlington, just outside of Toronto.
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- NASA payment
- US$6.9 million
- Startup
- Interlune, based in Seattle
- Purchase orders
- Close to half a billion dollars
- Canadian site
- Darlington, just outside Toronto
Sources
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