Delos David Harriman, (DDH) is a name familiar to science fiction buffs. In Robert Heinlein’s classic, The Man Who Sold the Moon, DDH persuades the United Nations to appoint him the agent for selling lunar real estate.
The possibility of commercial exploitation of lunar resources is now being discussed in several quarters.
Several government space agencies, including apparently Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), are interested in lunar mining. China has also announced its plans to try and mine the moon for Helium-3. Sivathanu Pillai of Isro said India could, in theory, meet its entire energy requirements by using Helium-3 sourced from the moon. Pillai even set a date, claiming that the technical process for mining could be solved by 2030.
Private concerns are also interested. An American company, Moon Express, has raised around $45 million for a moon mission. Moon Express, co-chaired by Indian-American Naveen Jain is one of many contestants targeting the Google Lunar XPRIZE, by putting a robotic lander on the moon.
The Bengaluru-based TeamIndus is also in the running for the XPRIZE. The lander must navigate 500 metres across the moon’s surface and send back high-resolution video. The XPRIZE also sets conditions to ensure maximal private contributions in both financing and design of the lander.
Moon Express’ long-term goals go beyond trying to win the prize. It hopes to mine the moon for valuable resources such as Helium-3, gold, platinum group metals, rare earth metals and water. It also hopes to kick-start research on human space colonies.
Helium-3 or He-3 is a rare isotope of the gas, helium. He-3 contains two protons and one neutron whereas normal helium (He-4) has two neutrons and two protons. The quantum-mechanistic properties of He-3 and He-4 are different. He-4 is practically inert whereas He-3 features in certain nuclear reactions, while being chemically inert. He-3 is used as a neutron detector since it absorbs and converts neutrons easily. It is used in MRI scanners and in specialised equipment to detect plutonium, a radioactive element that can be used in nuclear weapons.
He-3 is not naturally abundant on Earth though it is abundant in space. It is produced by nuclear reactions in the sun and is also found in gaseous giant planets such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. But the Earth’s thick atmosphere and magnetic belt prevent much He-3 getting to the Earth. It can be produced in nuclear reactors via the radioactive decay of an isotope of hydrogen, tritium.
Production of He-3 has declined as the world has become safer. Tritium is used in nuclear weapons and the explosive power of the warhead reduces as the tritium decays to produce He-3. Hence, the He-3 is removed from weapons. As nuclear arsenals have reduced, He-3 production has dropped.
The “killer app” is that He-3 can be used in reactors to generate power. In fact, He-3 is a safe, clean fuel. Deployed in fusion reactors, He-3 produces clean power and water with no carbon footprint and no radioactivity. Thus, it would be an important alternative fuel if it was easily available.
The moon doesn’t have an atmosphere or a magnetosphere to prevent He-3 from being deposited from space. It is believed that He-3 is captured in huge quantities in the thick layers of dust on the moon’s surface. If lunar dust is heated to sufficient temperatures, the He-3 could be released and captured.
Mining the moon would involve setting up solar panels to provide power to heat the dust. Robots could then heat the dust to 600 degree C or higher to release He-3, which would then be collected in special containers and transported to Earth. Just 40 tonnes of He-3 would be enough to power the USA for an entire year and about 160 tonnes could meet annual global needs. A single space shuttle can carry around 20 tonnes. It is estimated the moon has enough He-3 to power the Earth for thousands of years.
There are formidable engineering challenges to pulling off such a mining operation. But it might be possible to do this, and to do it economically. There may be legal issues as well since the United Nations Outer Space Treaty suggests that lunar resources are owned by all mankind. This is an intriguing prospect that could spark a new space race and perhaps, a space war to control such resources.
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