Imagine claiming mining helium is the solution when free energy is right there radiating from the sun.
How do you suggest producing a significant amount of thrust in a vacuum using the sun?
Though, of course, simple scientific curiosity may not justify the enormous cost of the undertaking. That’s where commercial interest comes in.
That’s not what this is about, the author doesn’t care about that, all they see is a finite, exploitable resource that will line their pockets.
However, to answer your question, we already have that technology.
Solar sails don’t produce a significant amount of thrust, you didn’t answer my question.
Nuclear, or if you want space stuff, build a station at the Lagrange point and sling from there? I don’t need to be an expert in launch solutions to know that we shouldn’t speculate mining the moon till it’s well researched and that we have more accessible options here for the forseeable future with solar as my choice of example, so let’s not jump the gun on another finite resource?
You can’t launch a rocket using solar. Nuclear is exactly what helium-3 will provide. Speculation is the first step of exploiting the Moon’s value.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helium-3#Nuclear_fuel
Do your research before acting like you know what you’re writing about. There are so many things to complain about when it comes to capitalism, this is not one of them.
I am referring to commercial speculation, and I literally laid this out in the second sentence, thanks!
Can a solar sail propel an object to relativistic speeds? The whole point of space travel is to go to other planets at a speed fast enough that the people going there will not be dead or elderly by the time they reach their destination. The only way to do that is by achieving light speed or damn near it. I do not want to board a solar sail vessel bound for Proxima Centauri b (4.22ly) and be dust by the time I get there.
How to get contries to develop their space programs and colonize the moon: “Its made of oil!”
This whole post is a joke about Moon Nazis! Is it?
Fusion is coming, who cares about He3?
SK had a 45 sec reaction, we might actually be less than 20 years away from net positive energy.
Well, it would be except it isnt a money making energy source so TPTB will only fund space miners instead.
Helium 3 is what we’re planning to use in fusion, that’s the point.
Fair enough, I assumed it was for batteries
I wish they’d throw more money at cold fusion too. Just need Palladium for that one 😅
Even if it was for batteries, unless we get fusion factors down to something that can fit in a car, power drill, smartphone, etc. batteries are still going to be a big part of the equation.
Sure, you can generate enough juice to power whatever you want, but only as long as it’s plugged in, anything that needs to get detached from the grid is still going to need batteries, and you probably don’t want your car hooked up to a 10 mile long power cord for your commute.
True, but we now have sodium batteries so thats cool
Palladium isn’t really being pursued anymore with most net gain fusion setups these days.
