​It is about controlled nuclear fusion and the battle for lunar resources

Humans share the same moon, but lunar resources may be owned by different nations. From rare metals to helium-3, which is crucial for controlled nuclear fusion, to water resources for constructing perfect bases, the moon is not only a frontier for humanity's exploration of the vast cosmos but also a potential reserve of resources for survival.

01

The Perfect Energy in Lunar Regolith

The fundamental reason why humans have been ceaselessly pursuing lunar sampling for decades is the abundance of helium-3 in the lunar regolith, a key raw material for nuclear fusion.

Helium-3, as a fuel for controlled nuclear fusion, generates energy 250 times greater than the energy required for its extraction. It is 12.5 times more potent than the nuclear fission reaction of uranium-235. Unlike hydrogen fusion, which involves its isotopes deuterium and tritium and requires temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius to achieve fusion conditions, helium-3 fusion is much simpler. Helium-3 fusion only requires a temperature of 30 million degrees, which, although still challenging, is significantly more manageable than 100 million degrees. Moreover, helium-3 fusion does not produce the secondary radiation hazard of neutrons, making it cleaner and more controllable. Therefore, helium-3 is considered the perfect fusion fuel, with an estimated value of up to 3 billion USD per ton, equivalent to 20 billion RMB.

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However, it is regrettable that the reserves of helium-3 on Earth are extremely scarce, with an estimated total of only 500 kilograms. This is because helium-3 mainly comes from the solar wind, and Earth's magnetic field deflects the solar wind, preventing helium-3 from reaching our planet. The moon, lacking a magnetic field, allows the solar wind to directly reach its surface, leaving behind a significant amount of helium-3.

If the energy used globally were to be provided by helium-3 fusion, only 100 tons of helium-3 would be needed per year. We know that the moon's helium-3 content ranges from 1 to 5 million tons, which could supply human use for thousands of years.Helium-3 holds immense strategic value, prompting continuous research by humanity, and the lunar soil samples we have brought back have become our most important experimental materials. A joint team from the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Qian Xuesen Laboratory of the 5th Academy of Space Technology, the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Nanjing University, has detected and studied helium atoms in the lunar regolith particles from the Chang'e-5 mission. They found that there is an amorphous glass layer on the surface of ilmenite particles in the regolith. Researchers, using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy combined with electron energy loss spectroscopy, observed a large number of helium bubbles in the glass layer, with diameters of about 5-25nm, and most of the bubbles are located near the interface between the glass layer and the crystal.

In contrast, there are essentially no helium bubbles within the internal crystals of the particles. Given the high solubility of helium in ilmenite, researchers believe that helium atoms are first injected into the ilmenite lattice by the solar wind, and then gradually released under the channeling diffusion effect of the lattice. The outer glass layer, with its disordered atomic stacking structure, restricts the release of helium atoms, which are captured and gradually stored, forming bubbles.

The special disordered atomic stacking structure of amorphous materials has extremely high stability; for example, amorphous amber can preserve biological specimens for hundreds of millions of years, and oxide glass can store nuclear waste for thousands of years. This work indicates that ilmenite glass also has extremely high stability, capturing and preserving abundant helium-3 resources on the moon.

The study suggests that it is possible to extract helium-3 stored in bubble form at room temperature through mechanical crushing methods, without the need for high-temperature heating. Moreover, ilmenite has weak magnetism, which allows it to be separated from other lunar regolith particles through magnetic selection, facilitating in-situ mining on the moon. Further calculations by researchers reveal that the density of helium gas atoms in the bubbles reaches 50-192 He/nm^3, which is an extremely high pressure.

Estimating the total amount of ilmenite on the moon, the total amount of helium-3 stored in bubble form could be as high as 260,000 tons. If all of it were used for nuclear fusion, it could meet the global energy needs for 2600 years. These results not only provide new insights into the enrichment mechanism of helium-3 on the moon but also lay a theoretical foundation for the future in-situ mining and utilization of lunar helium-3, which is of great significance for exploring effective pathways for the utilization of lunar resources.

It can be anticipated that the future mining of helium-3 on the moon by humanity is likely to be a trend. In addition to the moon, there is even more helium-3 on planets such as Mercury and Jupiter. Therefore, studying methods for extracting helium-3 from lunar regolith is of great significance.

02

Lunar Mining CompetitionAs more and more rare minerals are discovered on the moon, a "moon gold rush" is sweeping across countries around the world.

As the first probe in human history to make a soft landing on the far side of the moon, Chang'e 4 maintains contact with the ground command center through the Queqiao communication relay satellite. Its carried Yutu-2 lunar rover, after a long period of exploration, discovered a dense metal mass 290 kilometers underground in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, with a mass of 220 trillion tons, which can almost be regarded as a metal mountain buried deep under the moon's surface.

In the eyes of astronomers, if the moon is really formed from the debris of a collision between a Mars-sized celestial body and the early Earth, then the moon is very likely to inherit some of the remnants of that planet, even inheriting its iron-nickel-rich core and other metal substances.

Previously, a series of lunar probes have found through research that there are unusual substances in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, which are very different from other places on the moon. Analysis shows that there is a high concentration of metals such as iron, thorium, and titanium in the South Pole-Aitken Basin. NASA's GRAIL lunar probe also further confirmed the abnormal phenomena of this basin.

But in any case, the 220 trillion tons of metal on the far side of the moon are likely to be exploited by humans in the future, because the moon's gravitational strength is only one-sixth of the Earth's. Whether it is used as a stepping stone for humans to other planets or as an industrial base for humans in space, it is very convenient. The weak gravity also makes it much easier to mine lunar minerals than on Earth.

In addition to the huge and unknown properties of metal resources buried deep underground, the surface of the moon does contain a variety of metal elements, such as iron, titanium, aluminum, etc., which exist in different forms in the moon's rocks and dust. Some areas of the moon's surface, especially near impact craters, may be rich in metals, because impact events can bring buried metals to the surface.

The rare metals present on the surface of the moon mainly include lithium, niobium, and tantalum. These metals are very precious on Earth, but relatively common on the far side of the moon. For example, the reserves of titanium on Earth are only 2 billion tons, but scientists estimate that the total reserves of titanium ore on the moon exceed 100 trillion tons through the samples brought back by Chang'e 5. Today, with titanium alloys widely used in high-tech fields, the huge reserves of titanium ore on the moon will definitely become one of the motivations for countries to go to the moon in the future.Following the "Moon rush," the "Lunar gold rush" is undoubtedly on the horizon, and in the upcoming competition for lunar resources, whoever first grasps the distribution of these resources on the Moon will hold the initiative.

03

Water Resources Concerning Territory Division

Water is not only the source of life but also the key to lunar mineral resource extraction. It is estimated that the cost of sending one cubic meter of water into low Earth orbit is as high as one million pounds, which means that obtaining water in space is akin to acquiring a priceless treasure. However, water on the lunar surface is not evenly distributed but only exists in certain specific regions or locations, indicating that the countries that land first will have a clear advantage.

The primary source of lunar water resources is not yet fully understood, but current research and remote sensing data suggest that the permanently shadowed regions at the Moon's poles may contain abundant water resources. This is also the reason why countries have designed lunar bases in areas with more water ice, such as the South Pole.

However, with Chinese scientists' research on the lunar soil brought back by Chang'e 5, it was found that every ton of lunar soil at the Chang'e 5 landing site contains about 120 grams of water. If China builds a lunar surface research base there in the future, it can utilize these resources. The water in the lunar soil can also provide a resource supplement for the extraction and utilization of lunar resources. All that is needed to manufacture rocket fuel is water; if future "in-situ water extraction" on the Moon can be achieved, decomposing it into hydrogen and oxygen, it would truly make the Moon a "springboard" for human exploration of deep space. Moreover, the Moon's gravity is only one-sixth of Earth's, so once the fuel is produced, the cost would be much cheaper.

The prospects are quite promising, but it is important to note that beyond technology, the establishment of national sovereignty over lunar resource extraction is a complex and multi-dimensional issue, involving international law, national policies, and the legal framework for future outer space activities. Regarding ownership, as early as December 19, 1966, the United Nations General Assembly passed the Outer Space Treaty, also known as the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies. The Outer Space Treaty stipulates that no state can claim ownership of any celestial body in outer space.

This was primarily to prevent the United States from acting recklessly. However, limiting states does not prevent private companies from considering the Moon as their commercial property. Currently, there are no regulations restricting private companies from mining, which is also why the United States supports private companies in this regard. Of course, behind all of this, technology remains the decisive force!