Governments presently have little individual or collective interest in financing large scale lunar enterprises, either for science or potential resource utilization. For example, preliminary technical and economic considerations of the return of lunar helium−3 (3He) for terrestrial fusion power plants suggest positive economic and enviromental returns, however, no significant governmental activity has been focused on this or other space related energy options.General analysis of both short and long term returns on investment for a lunar helium−3 enterprise, including considerations of future launch costs, strongly suggests that private financing may be attracted to this endeavor. A privately organized ‘‘catalytic financing’’ approach to providing start‐up capital for a lunar helium−3 enterprise appears to be worth consideration. ©American Institute of Physics 1995