NASA has plans to return to the Moon, first with a space station orbiting it and soon after that a permanently manned lunar research facility. China also plans to establish a permanent research station on the Moon. India is preparing for a second lunar landing with the eventual goal of a manned presence in the near future.
Our
natural satellite is a treasure trove of valuable minerals. Nations that
develop lunar mining capabilities will gain access to important resources. One
such lunar resource you might not immediately think of is Helium 3. Normal
helium contains two protons and two neutrons in its nucleus. Helium 3 has only
one neutron. Why would this be important? That isotope of helium is extremely
significant in the production of non-polluting energy.
Currently, our primary source of non-renewable energy on Earth comes from burning
fossil fuels which releases copious amounts of carbon dioxide, a major cause of
global warming. The process also releases a lot of sulfur which combines with
water to create sulfuric acid, acidifying our lakes and oceans and leading to
the possible extinction of numerous species. The acid rain leaches minerals
from the soil that trees and other plants need for proper growth. The
particulates that fossil fuel burning puts in the air are a major health risk
for all animals, including us humans.
Many
countries also rely on nuclear power plants for energy production. These plants
rely on nuclear fission, the splitting of uranium and plutonium atoms to
generate energy, but also generate tons of radioactive waste materials for
which we currently have no safe disposal methods.
So
what does the Moon have to do with all of this? Helium 3. With no atmosphere or
magnetic field to protect it from the harsh solar wind, the Moon’s surface is
bombarded with charged particles, and helium 3 is one product of this. The
surface of our Moon has an abundance of it. Helium 3 can be used in fusion
reactors to make clean, pollution-free energy, the same process that powers our
sun. Scientists have recently figured out how to create fusion reactors that
deliver more energy than it takes to power them, giving us the promise of
almost unlimited energy production that won’t destroy our forests or threaten
extinction.
We’ve found a lot of water in the form of ice at the south pole of the Moon. Water can be used for drinking, oxygen for breathing, and rocket fuel. It is much easier to blast off from the Moon than it is from Earth due to the Moon’s weaker gravity. That gives us an easier stepping stone to explore the solar system. Easier and cheaper access to space allows us greater opportunity to explore the asteroid belt.
One
goal of space exploration is to mine asteroids for rare minerals, such as
lithium, cobalt, manganese, and nickel, all important for creating electronic
devices like smartphones, computers, and batteries that can store electrical
energy and power vehicles that don’t burn fossil fuels. Asteroids also contain
copious amounts of iron, silver, gold, and platinum, all valuable in modern
society.
There
are, of course, a tremendous number of scientific reasons for having a lunar
base. The Moon itself still holds many secrets for us to discover. The relative
ease of access to space from the Moon provides scientists the opportunity to
study our solar system in great detail. Telescopes located on the Moon’s far
side give us the chance to study the cosmos without interference from Earthly
sources of radio noise and light pollution, not to mention the huge and growing
number of satellites in orbit around Earth that interfere with astronomical
studies.
Our
Moon holds many riches, both economic and scientific, making it a goal to
create a permanently manned scientific colony there. That is the new space
race.
Each month, I write an astronomy-related column piece for
the Oklahoman newspaper. After it is
published there, I post that same column to my blog page.
This is reprinted with permission from
the Oklahoman and www.Oklahoman.com.
