Magna Petra’s primary target is helium-3 (he-3), an isotope in short supply on Earth, but which has crucial functions in areas such as medical imaging, quantum computing and nuclear fusion. He-3 is created by the Sun’s nuclear fusion and carried by solar winds, but Earth’s atmosphere means the isotope makes up as little as 0.0001 per cent of the helium on this planet.
Due to the absence of a magnetic field on the Moon, he-3 is much more abundant there. Magna Petra is now working with ispace on a plan to collect and return meaningful quantities of he-3 from the lunar surface using ‘non-destructive, sustainable harvesting’.
“We are pleased to cooperate with Magna Petra to transport their technology to the Moon,” said Takeshi Hakamada, founder & CEO of ispace.
“The cislunar economy will be dependent on many important resources other than water, and it is important to work to make use of these resources. ispace will continue to support the goals of various companies and organisations necessary for the development of the new economy.”
According to Magna Petra, its patent-pending technology extracts he-3 isotopes with minimal impact to the lunar surface. A rover drags a collector system behind it like a plough, disturbing just the top few centimetres of lunar regolith, which is where most of the he-3 is deposited. The company said the Moon could be home to as much as 25 million tonnes of he-3. Currently, the US supply of the isotope is less than 60kg.
ispace’s plans several key missions over the next few years:
- Mission 2 (2025): Led by ispace Japan, this mission will feature the RESILIENCE lander and the TENACIOUS micro-rover, designed to test regolith extraction and surface mobility.
- Mission 3 (2026): Directed by ispace-U.S., this mission will debut the APEX 1.0 lander for additional technological demonstrations.
- Mission 6 (2027): Utilizing the Series 3 lander, ispace Japan aims to further expand capabilities in lunar surface operations.
“We are delighted and honoured to be collaborating with ispace on this important initiative,” said Jeffrey Max, Magna Petra’s CEO.
“These missions require a cislunar transportation and lunar infrastructure partner with proven competencies, agility and strong leadership. The ispace teams’ strong track record of innovation and performance, along with a global footprint are the perfect fit for Magna Petra’s critical mission requirements.”
