David Warden, JD, PhD
CEO, Black Moon Energy Corp.
Quantum computing excels at highly specialized, complex computations at speeds exponentially beyond traditional systems. Problems that once required years of processing will soon be solved in minutes. Yet as the technology advances, scaling remains constrained by one critical bottleneck: cryogenic infrastructure. Most qubit architectures require ultra-cold environments near absolute zero. The solution to the scaling challenge: Helium-3.
Qubits—the fundamental units of quantum information—are extraordinarily fragile. Even minimal heat can create vibrations and interference that introduce mathematical errors before calculations are complete. The materials require sub-zero temperatures to lose electrical resistance, allowing current to flow without generating heat. The colder environment drastically reduces unwanted interactions and extends the time window algorithms can run accurately.
How does Helium-3 fit it? Helium-3 has a lighter atomic mass than the more common Helium-4. This distinct atomic structure gives it crucial properties that make it a superior coolant in quantum computing. The dilution refrigeration system does not use traditional coolants or compressors—it relies on the interaction between Helium-3 and Helium-4 to absorb heat, effectively cooling the system to unprecedented levels. A dilution refrigerator can reach temperatures as low as 5 to 10 millikelvin—in other words colder than outer space, which sits around 2.7 kelvin. To make quantum computing scalable you need a reliable Helium-3 supply—and the lunar surface is the largest known accessible reserve.
Terrestrial Helium-3 availability is extremely limited. Today, the primary source comes from the decay of tritium used in nuclear weapons or a direct waste product of some nuclear reactors. Tiny, trace amounts are also found in some natural gas deposits and volcanic emissions, but these are difficult to extract. Supply is tightly controlled through the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site and DOE Isotope Program, which allocates Helium-3 gas to crucial applications including government research, national security, and medical diagnostics. Accelerating demand from fusion energy and advanced cryogenic technologies is driving the market faster than the existing supply can support.
The quantum computing sector is entering a period of explosive growth, with market projections rising from roughly $1.5 billion to more than $20 billion by the early 2030s. The momentum is being fueled by massive investments from both venture capital and industry leaders including IBM, Google, Microsoft, and AWS. As quantum systems scale, so does the demand for cryogenic infrastructure. More qubits require more dilution refrigerators—and more dilution refrigerators require more Helium-3. As a result, Helium-3 is emerging as a strategic resource in the future of quantum computing.
As Helium-3 establishes itself as a strategic commodity for the quantum computing industry, attention is increasingly turning to the Moon. Earth’s Helium-3 reserves are extremely limited compared to the vast quantities embedded in the lunar surface by billions of years of solar wind exposure—estimated at 1 to 3 million metric tons within the Moon’s upper three meters. In practical terms, that represents enough supply to support global demand for thousands of years. Companies that secure reliable access to Helium-3 will hold a significant strategic advantage in the next generation of advanced computing and energy technologies.
Helium-3 sits at the intersection of deep tech and deep space—linking the rise of quantum computing with the emerging lunar resource economy. As upcoming lunar missions validate commercial-scale resource potential, these sectors are expected to converge rapidly.
The race for quantum supremacy may ultimately depend on access to one of the rarest strategic resources in the world. As quantum computing, fusion energy, and advanced cryogenic systems scale, Helium-3 is shifting from scientific concept to critical infrastructure. In the future, the companies securing reliable Helium-3 supply will not simply participate in the next technological era—they may help define it.
At Black Moon Energy, that reality is shaping the company’s long-term mission: unlocking lunar Helium-3 resources for the next generation of Earth-based technologies. Through its Fusion 1 mission, the company is developing the infrastructure required for scalable lunar resource operations.