Moon – just a satellite?

Hey guys! It’s been long once again. Hope all are doing fine. This time, it is the moon. Since the last time I said it’s a waste going back to the

Moon (Photo credit: penguinbush)

moon in one of my other posts, I’ve been researching a little. The moon is not just a dry barren desert with caters that scar it’s face. I mean, it is but the idea of making that barren desert productive can be a kick start to the complete avoidance of fossil fuel from Earth.

YES! Moon has the resources that is simply astounding and not yet been harvested. Firstly,  we have a concept called Lunar Solar Power (LSP).  Dr. David Criswell, a physicist in Huston, suggests that if we can harness the power of the sun that the moon receives, we can completely eliminate the use of fossil fuels on earth. This concept involves in setting up arrays of solar cells on the moon and getting all the power from the sun. This energy can be transferred back to the earth. This power will be sufficient to feed the entire world with electricity – no more stinking and polluting carbon monoxide. Research says that the moon receives over 13,000 Tera Watts (TW) of solar power. In 2050, the total human consumption of power is projected to be approximately 50 TW. Harnessing just 1% of the energy will be more than sufficient for the entire planet and all other forms of energy productions can be reduced to a minimum. A few solar bases on the moon would be set up on the eastern and the western edges of the moon. The power collected is transmitted through a series of buried wires that are connected to a microwave generator. These generators, in turn, convert the solar power into microwaves and beam it back to earth where they are received using a special antennas placed all over the globe.

Another door that the moon opens up for us is the mining of Helium-3, a non polluting isotope of Helium that can be used to produce electricity. We all know the working of today’s nuclear reactors. There is a fuel in the core like Plutonium or Uranium. This is bombarded by neutrons which further produce neutrons and a controlled chain reaction takes place. This produces heat which is used to rotate a turbine connected to a generator and the power is produced. This has been the method of power production from reactors. Helium-3 is a boon – we do not need generators. A reactor core that is completely filled with Helium-3 produces power directly, we do not need turbines and generators. About 70% of the energy can be directly captured and used. This is way efficient than the past and the current technologies. Helium-3 also opens up an option for producing power using a fusion reaction – the first practical approach of producing power using fusion reaction.

We have the technology to mine Helium-3 from the moon. Helium originates from the sun and most of it is Helium-4, rather than Helium-3. All the Helium-3 that arrives in the direction of the earth is pushed away by the magnetosphere. Luckily, the moon doesn’t have an atmosphere and so lots of Helium-3 is deposited on the surface and is ready for mining. Watch the video below to see a dramatization of the entire process.

So, I think there is a reason to get back to the moon. We go back, we harness the power and we go green on mother Earth. God speed.

Related articles

• Firms will inherit Apollo legacy (bbc.co.uk)
• Moon Missions for Profit, Not Science? (hispanicbusiness.com)
• Moonshadowed (lfpress.com)
• Students take pictures of moon, win science books (victoriaadvocate.com)
• Where Does the Moon Come From? (history.com)
• Why the World Will Run Out of Helium (scienceblogs.com)
• Moon Created by Giant Collision, Studies Confirm (history.com)
• Mining and Manufacturing on the moon (isset.org)