China sees the moon as a source of affordable helium-3

China space program is developing very rapidly. Not so long ago lander Chañe-3 came out of the 14th in a row stage of hibernation, and continued to work (not to be confused with Yutu, this rover broke, and not the lander). Another unit of the Chinese, "Chañe 5-T1" not so long ago successfully returned to Earth .

The task of the next mission - a fence and delivery of 4 kilograms of lunar rocks directly at the Earth, into the hands of Chinese scientists. This task must perform another probe "Chañe 5". Why the Chinese lunar rock? To evaluate the content out there in the world of rare isotope of helium - helium-3. Back in August, the Chinese said that the Moon is a very promising source of this isotope that can be used for a "clean" thermonuclear reaction.

It is estimated that this 0, 02 grams of helium-2 during the reaction of thermonuclear fusion energy will allocate as much as the energy released during complete combustion of one barrel of oil. Journalists DailyMail calculated , that 40 tons of helium-3 is enough to ensure US energy for the whole year.



The main source of helium-3 in the solar system is the sun, which gives the isotope to the moon by the "solar wind". On Earth, helium-3 is almost misses because of the presence of the magnetic field of the Earth and the ionosphere. According to the paper World Security Network , the cost of production of 1 ton of helium-3 on the Moon could be 3 billion, which is cost-effective. Experts from the United States believes that the total cost of infrastructure delivery of helium-3 on Earth (creating a spacecraft, the beginning of work on the Moon, the development of equipment for thermonuclear reactions with helium-3) will be about $ 20 billion, the duration of such a project - 20 years .



But back to the Chinese. All of them - very practical people, and just like an expedition to the moon is unlikely to be organized. But helium-3 may be sufficient incentive for the Chinese to develop a long-term project to study the moon. As you can see, until the project is moving in the right direction. Well, if everything (still technical challenges to the implementation of the project - more than enough - it is necessary to remember that any continuous fusion reaction yet to be achieved), then humanity will provide energy for 10,000 years - reserves of helium-3 on the moon is very large, and are estimated at 10 million tons.

Source: geektimes.ru/post/244914/