Heat-based helium-3 extraction on the lunar surface faces a fundamental power-mobility dilemma that makes large-scale extraction impractical with current technology

The power-mobility dilemma emerges from He-3's extreme dilution (2mg/tonne) and wide distribution (40 million km² of lunar surface). Traditional heat-based extraction requires 800°C heating, demanding a 12 MW solar concentrator to process 1,258 tonnes/hour. This creates two failure modes: (1) Onboard processing requires 'seven-digit electrical power capacity (in Watts)' per rover—currently impractical for mobile systems. (2) Centralized processing 'would severely hamper efficiency, as constant transportation of regolith would drastically reduce productivity'—rovers become regolith haulers rather than extractors. Over 150 tonnes of regolith must be processed per gram of He-3, making the logistics problem severe. The analysis concludes current He-3 extraction ambitions are 'more speculative than feasible' and recommends terrestrial production alternatives. This represents the strongest peer-reviewed technical critique of lunar He-3 extraction from a credible institution (ESA partner).