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Wouldn't it be better to spend that money on our other problems here first and then to focus on this? After all, having China get to the Moon before we return to it is not going to be the end of the world.
When the US landed men on the moon multiple times back in the late 60's, they claimed the Moon "for all mankind"
When China get's there, they intend on claiming the moon for China. The Moon is chalk full of titanium and helium 3 and China wants it for themselves.
This will be THE issue of the next generation. How China bolted ahead of the US in the space program. Can we afford to fall behind?
Let them make the claim. They would actually have to defend the claim. That doesn't seem possible considering they have other issues here on Earth to contend with like their claims on the South China Sea. With that stated, at some point in the future, we will all have to realize that space exploration is a world goal.
There is something there, helium3 which has enormous potential as an energy source.
We have He-3 right here on Earth and so far, no one has managed to squeeze one single joule out of it. We don't have the lab versions of the prototypes of the predecessors of the first production run of a first-generation fusion reactor, and He-3 would be fuel for second-generation reactors. Even if we could, He-3 is not in pools to pump up - we're talking parts-per-billion, in the order of mining, refining and goddamn isotope-separate 150 million tons of regolith to get a ton of He-3.
Wouldn't it be better to spend that money on our other problems here first and then to focus on this? After all, having China get to the Moon before we return to it is not going to be the end of the world.
If we took all the oxygen and energy that Tea Partiers are using for their mobility scooters and tanks we could easily go back to the moon. Our health care costs are double anyone elses. We arent going back to the moon any time soon but we will have more triple bi-passes for 80 year olds than any country in the world...lets celebrate Tea Party progress.
It's not a myth. They are already perfecting it in labs. They have to figure out how to make power on a large scale safely. Once it's perfected, it will be clean energy, but this helium 3 needs is going to hamper it.
They're not. Seriously. There's one test reactor that can maintain seconds of fusion reaction - and not Helium, but Hydrogen, and it still absorbs more energy than the reaction generates. (Not even talking about efficiency in converting energy from the reaction - pure reaction energy output.)
Unless you pay heed to the Skunk Works rumors, of course.
I understand what you guys are saying, but within 40 years we will be putting cold fusion nuclear power plants on line and for that we will need Helium 3 in larger quantities that are known on Earth. China is looking to corner the fusion power market in the future. For America, that is an unacceptable situation.
Putting a man on the moon is quite different than creating a mining and transportation infrastructure capable of moving significant quantities of anything back to Earth. It's like throwing a nail on an empty lot and claiming you have now built a mansion there.
And even if they do manage to create such a project, what is to stop the US or any other country from doing the same? Do you envision China putting 'No Trespassing' signs on the moon or having armed starships with photon torpedoes to prevent us from accessing resources on the moon?
If He-3 is needed, we can get it from the moon the same as they can, once we stop throwing money at bankrupt windfarms, bogus solar cell front companies and electric car scams.
...we're talking parts-per-billion, in the order of mining, refining and goddamn isotope-separate 150 million tons of regolith to get a ton of He-3.
The tree-hugging EPA would never allow such waste of a pristine environment! But they're going to have to become rock-and-vacuum huggers. Give them time, though, and they'll figure out how to!
If He-3 is needed, we can get it from the moon the same as they can, once we stop throwing money at bankrupt windfarms, bogus solar cell front companies and electric car scams.
I'd love to hear how you'd use He-3 in an internal combustion engine...
The tree-hugging EPA would never allow such waste of a pristine environment! But they're going to have to become rock-and-vacuum huggers. Give them time, though, and they'll figure out how to!
The good news is that the EPA's jurisdiction only extends as far as the borders of the US.
Sure, we'll have the Chinese build our shuttle for us while were at it.
Let an American Company outsource the project to China and then they can charge us Billions of dollars for it, and pay the Chinese Millions.
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