Chinese scientists have proposed the construction of a lunar launch system to provide a cost-effective solution for transporting mined resources from the Moon’s surface back to Earth.
The launch mechanism being developed by the research team at the Shanghai Institute of Satellite Engineering will operate on the same principle as a hammer throw athlete, rotating at increasingly high speeds before launching the payload towards Earth. By leveraging the Moon’s unique environment, such as its high vacuum and low gravity, the system could launch payloads twice a day at a cost of approximately 10% compared to current transportation methods.
The new launch system will transport helium-3 resources from the Moon to Earth. (Photo: Arabia Weather).
“The technical readiness of the system is relatively high. Since it only consumes electricity and does not require propellant, the system is quite compact and can be directly applied,” the research team stated. “The main goal is to mine and transport helium-3 back to address the energy crisis on Earth. This project also promotes the development of space mining technology, heavy launch systems, and artificial intelligence.”
Helium-3 is a stable light isotope of the more common helium-4, known for being a clean, safe, and efficient fuel that can generate energy through controlled thermonuclear reactions. Twenty tons of this fuel could meet China’s annual electricity demand. While Earth has only about 0.5 tons of helium-3, it is estimated that there are 1 million tons in the lunar soil, enough to satisfy the world’s energy needs for over 1,000 years.
The launch system proposed by the Chinese researchers will utilize a 50-meter-long rotating arm and high-temperature superconducting motors to launch the lunar resource payload. After 10 minutes, the rotating arm will reach a lunar escape velocity of 2.4 km/s, which is about one-sixth of Earth’s escape velocity, to fly directly back to Earth.
The system will be powered by solar and nuclear energy, with over 70% of the energy being recovered after each launch thanks to a design that allows momentum to convert back into electricity during the deceleration phase post-launch. The ultimate goal is to calculate the correct launch angle within a 0.1-degree margin to minimize the need for adjustments during the mission.
The system is designed to last at least 20 years, but it will weigh around 80 tons and must wait for China’s heavy-lift rocket to become operational before it can be deployed on the Moon. The research team responsible for the project indicated that this could be part of a collaborative effort between Russia and China to establish a research station at the Moon’s South Pole by 2035.
The construction cost of the launch system is estimated at approximately $18.2 billion, however, according to co-author of the study, Zhu Yingzhi, mining 3 to 5 tons of helium-3 per year could yield nearly $14 billion in profits. He noted that the main challenge for the project is installing the system on the Moon’s rugged surface, ensuring the rotating arm remains stable at high speeds, and withstanding temperature fluctuations, cosmic radiation, and lunar dust. The research team aims to complete the development of key components by 2030, followed by testing on the lunar surface and full-scale deployment by 2045.
