“We want to fly to the Moon to search for nuclear fuel“… This is the statement from Nikolaj Sevastijanov, head of the Russian rocket and space corporation Energija.
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“We are flying to the Moon to find nuclear fuel…” |
He announced that Russia plans to establish a permanent lunar base by 2015 and to begin industrial-scale mining of the helium-3 isotope for thermonuclear energy by 2020.
This idea may seem completely fantastical, but as Earth’s oil and gas resources dwindle, it is thermonuclear energy that could prevent an energy disaster.
Life teaches us to be skeptical, and at first glance, this project appears to be a capricious and insane endeavor, akin to trying to reshape rivers.
However, a hundred years ago, who would have imagined that oil and gas would overshadow peat and firewood? No one anticipated that cars and airplanes would become the primary means of transportation, and even science fiction writers did not dream of nuclear power plants.
Energy is a sector where every advancement is tied to a revolution, a turning point in scientific foundations, and a radical change in industrial structures. It has been repeatedly proven that science fiction writers often lack the imagination of scientists.
A few years ago, when U.S. President George W. Bush astonished the world with ambitious plans for lunar and Martian exploration, analysts hypothesized that the real but well-disguised goal of the U.S. was to extract the rare helium-3 isotope, which is scarce on Earth but abundant on the Moon, with an estimated reserve of 500 million tons.
Helium was first discovered not on Earth but in the solar spectrum and is named after the Greek word for the Sun (helios). On Earth, only helium-4, with 2 neutrons, exists, while helium-3 is a lighter stable isotope. Helium-3 reaches the Moon through solar winds, and estimates suggest there are hundreds of millions of tons available. Just 100 tons of helium-3 would meet Earth’s energy needs. We can harness energy through thermonuclear fusion of helium-3 with the heavy hydrogen isotope deuterium. Additionally, on the Moon, humans can mine iron, chromium, zirconium, and rare elements such as platinum. |
This is the ideal fuel for thermonuclear reactions, replicating the fusion processes that heat the Sun and all the stars in the sky. Are these distant materials and issues not essential for Earth? However, someone must consider that oil and gas are running out, uranium on Earth is also limited, and alternative energy sources like solar panels, wind power, and tidal energy only meet very minimal demands. We must confront the global energy disaster. The options are not many. The best solution is to replicate what occurs in the core of the Sun on Earth.
Helium fusion is an inexhaustible energy source that is also environmentally safe. Protons exiting the reactor have low radiation levels and cannot penetrate materials.
In the international thermonuclear energy project, the waste produced, neutrons, is significantly more radioactive, although still lower than waste from nuclear power plants. The U.S. has shown indifference toward the international project while valuing helium energy.
Recently, in a laboratory, Americans successfully ignited this reaction for a short time through laser stimulation. Among many challenging issues, the most difficult to solve is the inability to find helium-3 on Earth.
According to Erick Galimov, director of the Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, helium-3 reserves on the Moon are 10,000 times greater than on Earth, but it should not be assumed that it is easy to extract.
To obtain one ton of the isotope, one must excavate 200,000 cubic kilometers of lunar soil at a depth of 3 meters. To meet Earth’s energy demands, about 100 tons of helium-3 must be transported. Prior to this, geological surveys must be conducted, a base must be constructed on the Moon along with helium liquefaction plants, robots must be built, and operators must be trained.
On Earth, we must learn how to contain plasma in thermonuclear reactions. In summary, a revolution in science and technology must take place.
Building a lunar exploration spacecraft is another separate issue.
It is estimated that this spacecraft will cost about 15 million USD—equivalent to constructing a large house in Moscow—but it is expected to yield significant profits. The idea from the head of the Energija rocket and space corporation has been supported by A. Perminov, director of the Russian space agency, and discussed with A. Chubais, who oversees the “Unified Energy System of Russia.”
Academician Erick Galimov stated: whoever controls helium will win the race for dominance in the global energy sector. The Russian space industry still exists and can fulfill this mission.
