Helium-3 is a very special gas. It is one of the most expensive materials on Earth. One liter costs about $2,000.
Scientists use it for many things. It is very useful for quantum computers and new power plants. Today, this gas usually comes from nuclear weapons, but we do not have enough of it.
Where can we find more? Some people say we should go to the moon. The moon has a lot of dust.
This dust is called regolith. Scientists think there is a lot of helium-3 inside this dust. A company called Interlune wants to go to the moon.
They want to send big machines to the moon. These machines will dig up the dust and heat it. This will release the helium-3 gas.
Then, they will bring the gas back to Earth. One leader of this company is Harrison Schmitt. He is a famous astronaut.
He walked on the moon many years ago. He is now 90 years old. He always says the moon is a good place to find this gas.
But mining the moon is not easy. The moon is very far away. Machines must be very strong.
Also, we do not know exactly how much gas is there. Some people think it is too hard to get. These people look for the gas on Earth instead.
One company is looking in Minnesota, USA. They say it is easier to drill in the ground than to fly to the moon. Is it expensive?
Yes, it costs a lot of money to build rockets and big machines. However, big computer companies are interested. One company from Finland already signed a deal to buy the gas.
They will pay $300 million. In the future, we will need more power. Helium-3 can help make clean energy.
This clean energy comes from nuclear fusion. Scientists hope this will help the planet. Whether it comes from the moon or the Earth, this expensive gas is very important for our world.