Could a rare gas collected from the moon provide the answer to Earth’s energy problems? Many scientists believe helium-3 could provide us with all the power we need for 10,000 years. Even now, NASA and start-ups like Planetary Resources (a venture of James Cameron and Google billionaires Larry Page and Eric Schmidt) are looking into tapping this extraterrestrial resource. For those of you not in the know, helium-3 is a light, non-radioactive isotope of helium with two protons and one neutron. Although it’s relatively rare on Earth, it’s abundant on the moon’s surface, where it is deposited by solar winds. It’s also a potent energy source. Researchers estimate that 25 tons of helium-3 could power the United States for an entire year. Because of the massive benefits, China has been heavily researching the possibility of lunar mining, and Russia’s S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation has set a goal of creating a lunar base to extract helium-3 by 2030. Related: The Moon Could Meet the World’s Energy Needs for the Next 10,000 Years. Author Chris Orcutt believes helium-3 should become part of the alternative energy conversation. “The more research I have done, the more I believe there is a consensus in the scientific community that helium-3 is a viable alternative,” says Orcutt. “Why are we risking our environment with fracking when we have a huge supply of a viable alternative available to us? And even more puzzling is, how could there be a viable alternative that most people do not even know exists? These are questions for society to ponder. My hope is that my new book will help start that conversation,” Orcutt adds. While the science is real, the reality is a different manner. Humanity hasn’t been to the moon since 1972 and such a project would be incredibly expensive. But Orcutt believes our reluctance to mine the moon could be because of “powerful corporate interests and corporate-government collusion.” “It comes as no surprise to people that there’s this endless revolving door between government and corporations,” says Orcutt. “When you look at the bios of many people in powerful positions in government, you often see that that person worked for a major corporation beforehand, and vice-versa. I think most people see this, but they don’t always realize the implications.” Related: Project Icarus Plans to Harvest Gas from Uranus for Interstellar Travel “It’s a problem that we’ve known about for a long time and everyone agrees we need to face, yet we continue to rely on fossil fuels to power our economy,” explains Orcutt. “About seven years ago, I saw a documentary about the moon and helium-3 and I kept asking myself WHY are we not going up and getting it? As I researched lunar mining and articles about helium-3 fusion for the novel, I learned there is a consensus in the scientific community that helium-3 is a viable alternative. Then the huge oil reservoir in the Midwest—the Bakken Formation—was discovered. Fracking became a major enterprise, and I realized this was one of the reasons why we weren’t going after helium-3.” “Why are we risking our environment with fracking when we have a huge supply of a viable alternative available to us? And even more puzzling is how could there be a viable alternative that most people do not even know exists? These are not questions just for fiction readers to ponder, but for society as a whole.” Whatever the reasons, be it cost or political pressure, the mining of the moon’s surface could be a possibility in the future. The only question is: which country will get there first?
-
Archives
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- June 2022
- January 2022
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
-
Meta