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Surface Operations

Lunar Operations

Cargo landers, surface processing units, and helium-3 extraction on the lunar surface.

6Active Landers on Surface
2.1tHe-3 Payload per Lander
Mare ImbriumPrimary Extraction Site
99.3%Landing Success Rate
Overview

Fuel for the next generation of spaceflight, mined at the source.

Middleton Space's Lunar Operations division runs a growing network of unmanned cargo landers and surface processing units across the lunar regolith, extracting helium-3 for use in next-generation fusion power cells — including the MFC-2 units that power our own CA-series robotics.

Each HE-3 lander sets down with a tethered processing unit that sifts, heats, and separates helium-3 from the regolith on site, then loads the refined product back aboard the lander for the return trip to L4, where it's transferred to LEO Cargo vehicles bound for Earth.

HE-3 Lander Specifications

DesignationHE-3 Helium-3 Cargo Lander
Landing Legs4, independently articulated
Cargo Capacity2.1 metric tons refined He-3
Support EquipmentTowed HE-3 Processing Unit
PowerRadioisotope + solar array
Surface DurationUp to 180 lunar days

How It Works

From regolith to refined fuel in four steps.

01 — Land

Precision Descent

HE-3 landers touch down within meters of survey-selected extraction sites in Mare Imbrium.

02 — Extract

Regolith Processing

A tethered processing unit heats and sifts surface regolith to release trapped helium-3.

03 — Refine

On-Site Separation

Helium-3 is isolated and compressed for storage directly at the extraction site.

04 — Return

Ascent to L4

Loaded landers rendezvous with the L4 Shipyard Facility for transfer to Earth-bound cargo runs.

Robotics

CA17 Field Support

CA17-Class units handle equipment servicing and site setup in the lunar environment.

Sustainability

Closed-Loop Power

Refined He-3 feeds the fusion cells that power our own vehicles and robotics fleet.

Built for the Environment

Radiation-hardened. Fully sealed. Built for the Moon.

Every processing unit and lander on the surface is serviced by CA17-Class robotics, rated from −40°C to 60°C and hardened against lunar radiation and dust — no crew required.

Explore Robotics
Partner With Lunar Operations

Fusion fuel, delivered.

Middleton Space supplies refined helium-3 to fusion research and power partners on a recurring delivery schedule.