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Harvesting Helium-3 from the Moon

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Harvesting Helium-3 from the Moon Project Number: IQP-NKK-HEL3-C06-C06 HARVESTING HELIUM-3 FROM THE MOON An Interactive Qualifying Project Report submitted to the Faculty of the WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor Science by ____________________ Marsha R. D’Souza ____________________ Diana M. Otalvaro ____________________ Deep Arjun Singh Date: February 17, 2006 ____________________ Professor Nikolaos K. Kazantzis, Major Advisor ____________________ Professor John M. Wilkes, Co-Advisor Abstract The world is approaching an energy crisis, and it is critical to focus on an alternate long term energy source. Given the current urge to explore space and expand humanity’s outreach, harvesting the energetically rich Helium-3 from the Moon’s surface is an ideal, yet challenging, objective which is amply motivated by current energy economic realities. He-3 can be used in a nuclear fusion reactor to generate enormous energy outputs with negligible waste. In this project, we study the scientific breakthroughs required in space and fusion technologies to successfully harvest He-3 from the Moon. Additionally, a multitude of interests expressed on a global scale in lunar He-3 are examined and assessed based on a legal space framework, and socio-economic political scenarios are developed that would result from the aforementioned space venture. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction................................................................................................................... 6 2. Current and Alternative Energy Sources................................................................... 8 2.1 Hydrogen Energy...................................................................................................... 8 2.2 Fossil Fuel Reserves ............................................................................................... 11 2.3 Nuclear Energy on Earth......................................................................................... 15 2.4 Solar Energy............................................................................................................ 17 2.5 He-3: A Useful Fuel from the Moon....................................................................... 18 2.5.1 He-3 Formation................................................................................................ 20 2.5.2 Energetics of He-3 ........................................................................................... 21 2.5.3 Fusion Reactor ................................................................................................. 25 3. Technical...................................................................................................................... 35 3.1 Geology of the Moon.............................................................................................. 35 3.2 Mining the Moon .................................................................................................... 40 3.2.1 Mining Scenarios ............................................................................................. 41 3.2.2 Mining Feasibility............................................................................................ 46 3.2.3 Lunar Mining Base and Transportation ........................................................... 48 4. Legal and Political Framework ................................................................................. 53 4.1 Moon Treaty............................................................................................................ 53 4.2 International Interest in He-3.................................................................................. 55 4.3 Energy Treaties ....................................................................................................... 57 4.4 Principles and Treaties Directing Space Exploration and Exploitation.................. 59 5. Economic Study and Financial Analysis................................................................... 64 5.1 Prospects of a He-3 Mining and Commercialization.............................................. 67 5.2 Social and Economic Impact of He-3 ..................................................................... 73 6. International Lunar Exploration............................................................................... 76 6.1 History..................................................................................................................... 76 6.2 Current Lunar Exploratory Ventures ...................................................................... 78 6.2.1 United States .................................................................................................... 78 6.2.2 Russia............................................................................................................... 79 6.2.3 China................................................................................................................ 80 6.2.4 India ................................................................................................................. 82 6.2.5 Europe.............................................................................................................. 84 6.3 Future Collaboration ............................................................................................... 84 7. Possible Scenarios ....................................................................................................... 87 7.1 Scenario 1................................................................................................................ 87 7.2 Scenario 2................................................................................................................ 88 7.3 Scenario 3................................................................................................................ 89 7.4 Scenario 4................................................................................................................ 90 7.5 Scenario 5................................................................................................................ 92 7.6 Scenario 6................................................................................................................ 93 7.7 Scenario 7................................................................................................................ 95 8. Interview ...................................................................................................................... 97 3 8.1 Interview with Professor Gerald Kulcinski............................................................. 98 8.2 Interview with Ryan Caron................................................................................... 103 8.3 Interview with David Dietzler .............................................................................. 106 9. Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 111 10. Future Work............................................................................................................ 112 11. Bibliography ............................................................................................................ 114 4 5 1. Introduction The energy scenario today is governed by uncertainty and fear. Energy demand is expected to increase eight fold by 2020 due to an increase in population and energy requirements, especially on the part of China and India. Alongside an increase in energy demand, oil production is expected to peak within the next decade and, according to conservative estimates, may be exhausted by the middle of the 21st century. Against this reality, alternative energy sources are not only an “alternative,” but rather a necessity. It is with this necessity in mind that exploration of He-3 fusion as a potential energy substitute or a complement to other energy sources is being investigated. He-3 is a heavy isotope of noble gas helium and is present everywhere in the universe in varying amounts. The Earth’s supply of He-3 is negligible, but the mineral was found in abundant quantities in soil samples taken from the lunar regolith in 1972 in the exploratory mission, Apollo 17, led by NASA. Since then, there has been considerable interest among physicists, geologists, social scientists and economists in extracting and using the He-3 available in the Moon. The major arguments for the exploration of He-3 are as follows: firstly, it has a high energy density when combined with deuterium in a fusion reaction, hence only small amounts of He-3 are required to supply the same amount of energy as large volumes of oil. Secondly, the low radioactive waste emission and the safety of a He-3 fusion reaction are very attractive attributes when compared to the high safety risks inherent in fission reactors used in nuclear power plants today. Furthermore, He-3 provides us with the opportunity of exploring and settling a permanent base on the Moon, which would give us a solid base for further space exploration. 6 This Interactive Qualifying Project will explore and evaluate the technical feasibility of extracting He-3 on the Moon, transporting it back to Earth and reacting it with Deuterium in a fusion reactor. We will present the legal framework under which a He-3 mining venture could be conducted, as well as investigate the international interest of a He-3 mining and exploration venture as posed by the governments of Europe, the United States, India and China. We will also analyze the commercial viability
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