Bluefors, a manufacturer of cryogenic cooling systems for quantum technology, has agreed to purchase up to ten thousand liters of helium-3 annually from Interlune, a space resource company. The deliveries are scheduled to take place from 2028 to 2037. This partnership is aimed at establishing a supply chain for helium-3, which is a critical element for the development and operation of quantum computers.
Helium-3 is a necessary component for dilution refrigerators, which are used to cool quantum processors to temperatures below 10 millikelvin for stability and operation. The refrigeration process uses a mixture of helium-3 and helium-4 isotopes to provide continuous cooling. While helium-3 is rare on Earth, it is abundant on the Moon, where it has been deposited by solar winds. Interlune is developing technology to harvest helium-3 from lunar soil, or regolith, to meet the growing demand from the quantum industry.
This collaboration is intended to strengthen the quantum industry by securing a stable supply of a critical resource. Bluefors, which has delivered over 1,500 dilution refrigerators and more than 15,000 cryocoolers, will use the helium-3 in its cryogenic measurement systems for applications in quantum technology, physics research, and medicine. Interlune has signed contracts with U.S. government agencies and has several lunar missions planned this decade.
Read the full announcement here and a related article from The Washington Post here.
September 16, 2025
