A breakthrough in helium-3 extraction has been achieved by a consortium of UK universities and industry partners, according to documents leaked to the Science Desk. The isotope, rare on Earth but abundant in lunar regolith, could power next-generation fusion reactors with near-zero radioactive waste. The UK Space Agency has confirmed an emergency procurement programme to secure extraction rights on the Moon, moving the timeline from decades to years.
Helium-3 is a light, non-radioactive isotope that, when fused with deuterium, releases immense energy without producing dangerous neutrons. A single tonne could power a city of 10 million for a year. The challenge has always been extraction: lunar soil contains only 0.01 parts per million of He-3, requiring vast processing of regolith. The new method, developed at the University of Bristol and the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, uses high-intensity lasers to vaporise the lunar surface and separate isotopes magnetically. Lab tests achieved a 92% purity, energy-positive process.
Dr. Alistair Finch, lead researcher at Bristol, stated: "We have solved the energy balance. The laser consumes 5 megawatts but yields the equivalent of 50 megawatts in helium-3. Scaling is now an engineering problem, not a physics one."
The UK Space Agency has allocated £200 million for a rapid mission architecture. Two scenarios are being modelled: a robotic harvester landing by 2028, or a crewed base by 2035. The Moon Treaty of 1979 does not forbid private extraction, but ownership remains contested. The Agency’s legal team is working with the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs to establish a ‘first-come, first-served’ framework.
Critics argue that fusion is still decades from commercial reactors. The UK’s own STEP reactor is not expected online before 2040. Yet proponets counter that helium-3 can also be used in neutron detectors, medical imaging, and advanced cryogenics. The immediate economic value lies in helium-3’s market price: currently £4,000 per gram for scientific use, but could drop to £100 per gram with bulk extraction. A full lunar mission could yield 50 tonnes, worth £5 billion at current prices.
Environmental groups have expressed concern over mining the Moon. The Gaia Foundation issued a statement: "We must not repeat the colonial extraction of Earth’s resources. The Moon is a common heritage." The UK Space Agency responded that all operations would be conducted under strict planetary protection protocols, with no debris left behind and only sterile equipment used.
The race has global implications. China has already landed three Chang’e missions on the far side, and the US Artemis accords allow resource extraction. Russia and India have announced joint He-3 prospecting. If the UK secures a prime site in the Oceanus Procellarum region, rich in titanium and He-3, it could become the world’s energy supplier for centuries.
But the clock is ticking. The climate crisis demands immediate action. Even if fusion lags, helium-3 can be used in existing fission reactors as a neutron poison to reduce waste. The technology is here. The question is whether we have the political will to build the machines before the planet’s systems collapse.
As I file this report, the UK Space Agency’s chief scientist is en route to Washington for emergency talks. The next few months will determine if we ignite a new age of clean energy or watch another planetary opportunity slip through our fingers.
