China says mining helium may help solve world energy crisis

[Lord Beria3]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... risis.html

The lunar dirt brought back by mankind's first moonwalkers contained an abundance of titanium, platinum and other valuable minerals.

But our satellite also contains a substance that could be of even greater use to civilisation – one that could revolutionise energy production.

It's called helium 3 and has been dumped on the moon in vast quantities by solar winds

Any thoughts? The cost is relatively peanuts in the grand scale of things (how much did the banking bailouts cost?) more importantly is whether it is viable.

[PS_RalphW]

Nobody has produced a cost effective fusion reactor of any sort. A helium reactor is not even fifty years off. It is a much bigger engineering problem.

[boisdevie]

Nobody has produced a cost effective fusion reactor of any sort. A helium reactor is not even fifty years off. It is a much bigger engineering problem.

I just love this whole 'technology will save us' so we can just keep partying on.

[frayne]

It will require more study, research, money and year to complete.

[adam2]

At present helium is readily available on earth as a by product of natural gas production, certainly no need to go to the moon for it.
In the unlikely event that a helium fusion reactor is ever developed, the energy output from say a kilo of fuel would be so great that extracting the small amounts needed from the air would be viable.

Space flight may become less expensive with wider use, mass production of components, and reusable spaceships. I cant forsee it EVER being cheap enough to justify mining on the moon and shipping the products to earth.

All metals can be extracted from sea water, or once used can be recycled, probably at less cost in energy or money than space transport.

[biffvernon]

It's bonkers. The raving delusions of someone who does not understand that the Moon is made of cheese, not helium.

[RenewableCandy]

Cheese is, of course, a source of energy. Though it's rather less energy-dense than Helium, it does at least have the advantage of not giving you a squeaky voice...

[biffvernon]

There's nothing dense about helium - it's the second lightest stuff you can get.

[PS_RalphW]

There's nothing dense about helium - it's the second lightest stuff you can get.

Energy dense - as in energy of fusion of atomic nucleii as happens in the core of stars. Billions of time more dense than fossil fuels , measuring by either volume or mass.

Fossil fuels provide energy by chemically disassociating to their constituent atoms and bonding with oxygen to form carbon dioxide and often water.

[edit]

For information, the most mass dense material in the observable universe is a neutron star. This is where the atoms of a the star have been crushed under the force of their own gravity to the point that electrons (which normally orbit at a distance from the nucleus that is proportionately further than Pluto is from the sun) are squashed into the nucleus and merge with the protons in it to form neutrons, forming matter billions of time more dense than anything on earth.

4 X 10 E 14 g/cm3 or about a billion tonnes per teaspoon.

Gold is about 100g per teaspoon.

[biffvernon]

There's nothing dense about helium - it's the second lightest stuff you can get.

Energy dense - as in energy of fusion of atomic nucleii as happens in the core of stars. Billions of time more dense than fossil fuels , measuring by either volume or mass.

Oh well, if you're going to get all technical then don't compare apples with pears. The energy density, when fusion is allowed, is far higher in carbon (aka coal) than in those light-weight helium nuclei. Cheese, on the other hand...

[Catweazle]

At present helium is readily available on earth as a by product of natural gas production, certainly no need to go to the moon for it.

Helium3 is very different.

[fuzzy]

Man should not be messing with nature. Man-made fusion could be a disaster. Imagine if we accidently made another Eric Pickles from 10 tonnes of cheese and pies.

[another_exlurker]

Man should not be messing with nature. Man-made fusion could be a disaster. Imagine if we accidently made another Eric Pickles from 10 tonnes of cheese and pies.

It's alright, this time they're using helium, so we'll end up with a blimp.

[kenneal - lagger]

It's alright, this time they're using helium, so we'll end up with a blimp.

Wot? You mean Eric Pickles?

[RenewableCandy]

Yes. And with a squeaky voice as well