Black Moon Energy Signs Contract with Department of Energy for Purchase of Lunar Helium-3

HOUSTON, March 18, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Black Moon Energy Corporation ("BMEC") announced it has secured a contract to supply Helium-3 to the U.S. Department of Energy's Isotope Program (DOE IP), marking a key milestone in the company's plan to develop the first commercial supply of lunar Helium-3. The agreement positions BMEC at the forefront of efforts to establish a scalable supply of Helium-3.

BMEC is among a very limited number of companies holding a contract to supply newly sourced Helium-3 to the DOE IP. Managed by the Office of Science, the DOE IP is the only federal entity authorized to sell and distribute Helium-3. For more than 50 years, the program has overseen the federal Helium-3 inventory, supplying the isotope for mission-critical applications including national security, government research, medical diagnostics, quantum computing, cryogenics and fusion energy. Day-to-day commercial operations are administered by the National Isotope Development Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Helium-3 is extraordinarily scarce on Earth. Small trace amounts escape annually from the Earth's core, but the primary terrestrial supply is derived from the decay of nuclear materials—an expensive and very limited source. In contrast, the Moon has accumulated abundant quantities of Helium-3 in its regolith over billions of years through continuous exposure to the solar wind, making it the only known scalable reserve within our reach.

Earlier this year, BMEC announced its engagement of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Caltech to lead robotic systems, scientific instrumentation, data acquisition, and mission operations for the company's inaugural Fusion 1 Mission. The mission will conduct the first systematic survey of an operational area in the equatorial regions of the Moon, directly sampling and analyzing lunar regolith to quantify Helium-3 resources and test excavating and processing procedures for production and return of the resource to Earth.

Over a one-year operational period, Fusion 1 will generate a decision-grade dataset on Helium-3 abundance, define terrain and regolith conditions necessary for scalable field development, and demonstrate autonomous robotic operations through multiple lunar day-night cycles. The mission is designed to deliver the first commercial-grade resource model for lunar Helium-3 production.

Addressing return logistics, CEO David Warden explains "Helium-3 gas will be robotically compressed into transport cylinders and returned at a cost substantially lower than any potential terrestrial supply, without the associated radioactive, operational, and waste challenges. In any event, the terrestrial quantities are miniscule and insufficient to meet the projected demand for quantum computers and fusion power plants. Importantly, no breakthrough technologies are required to harvest Helium-3 from the Moon—rovers, return vehicles and supporting hardware systems are already in production by multiple commercial providers."

Helium-3 is essential for the low operating temperature required by quantum computers. In a recent report, McKinsey reported: "According to our conversations with tech executives, investors, and academics in quantum computing, 72 percent believe we'll see a fully fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2035." McKinsey has identified it as one of the next big trends in tech, accounting "for nearly $1.3 trillion in value by 2035." See, What is Quantum Computing, McKinsey & Company (April 2024).

Global interest in fusion energy continues to accelerate. Recent demonstrations of net energy gain have advanced the field, while growing electricity demand—from AI infrastructure to global decarbonization commitments under the Paris Agreement—continues to drive investment in next-generation power solutions. U.S. policy has moved decisively toward enabling commercial space development, including a recent Executive Order directing federal agencies to accelerate permitting and regulatory approvals for space activities.

The development of a scalable Helium-3 supply has the potential to unlock a new generation of fusion energy systems capable of delivering reliable, carbon-free baseload electricity.

BMEC's commercial roadmap targets Helium-3 production at scale within the next eight years, establishing a supply capable of supporting a substantial portion of future U.S. electric demand. Fusion power is compatible with existing electrical infrastructure, enabling integration with the current grid. Several private fusion companies are already partnering with utilities to build pilot plants with projected grid connections in the early 2030s. 

When realized, Helium-3-based fusion could provide large-scale power generation to support global electrification while delivering a stable energy supply for hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

About Black Moon Energy
Black Moon Energy Corporation is a privately funded natural-resource and lunar-development company with deep experience in energy and aerospace. BMEC's vision is to pioneer Helium-3 fueled fusion to raise the global standard of living and address climate-driven energy concerns. The company aims to execute one robotic lunar delineation mission within five years to collect data, perform experiments, and de-risk future Helium-3 production for long-term development.

For more information, visit www.blackmoon.energy, or follow BMEC on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/blackmoonenergy.

SOURCE Black Moon Energy Corporation