Comments on: Star Trek and Helium-3, Will Moon Mining Save the World? http://greennationtoday.com/star-trek-and-helium-3-will-moon-mining-save-the-world-by-richard-blake-406.html Green Nation Today presents Green, Sustainable, Environmental, Eco-friendly Lifestyle News Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:46:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: April http://greennationtoday.com/star-trek-and-helium-3-will-moon-mining-save-the-world-by-richard-blake-406.html/comment-page-1#comment-2195 April Sun, 19 Jul 2009 03:21:45 +0000 http://greennationtoday.com/star-trek-and-helium-3-will-moon-mining-save-the-world-by-richard-blake-406.html#comment-2195 There is a new movie out about mining helium-3. Just saw the trailer and it reminded me of this article. http://moon-trailer.blogspot.com/ Plot: "Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is nearing the end of his contract with Lunar. He’s been a faithful employee for 3 long years. His home has been Selene, a moon base where he has spent his days alone, mining Helium 3. The precious gas holds the key to reversing the Earth’s energy crisis. Isolated, determined and steadfast, Sam has followed the rulebook obediently and his time on the moon has been enlightening, but uneventful. The solitude has given him time to reflect on the mistakes of his past and work on his raging temper. He does his job mechanically, and spends most of his available time dreaming of his imminent return to Earth, to his wife, young daughter and an early retirement. But 2 weeks shy of his departure from Selene, Sam starts seeing things, hearing things and feeling strange. And when a routine extraction goes horribly wrong, he discovers that Lunar have their own plans for replacing him and the new recruit is eerily familiar. Before he can return to Earth, Sam has to confront himself and the discovery that the life he has created, may not be his own. It’s more than his contract that is set to expire." (Source: IMDb) There is a new movie out about mining helium-3. Just saw the trailer and it reminded me of this article.
http://moon-trailer.blogspot.com/

Plot:
“Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is nearing the end of his contract with Lunar. He’s been a faithful employee for 3 long years. His home has been Selene, a moon base where he has spent his days alone, mining Helium 3. The precious gas holds the key to reversing the Earth’s energy crisis.
Isolated, determined and steadfast, Sam has followed the rulebook obediently and his time on the moon has been enlightening, but uneventful. The solitude has given him time to reflect on the mistakes of his past and work on his raging temper. He does his job mechanically, and spends most of his available time dreaming of his imminent return to Earth, to his wife, young daughter and an early retirement.
But 2 weeks shy of his departure from Selene, Sam starts seeing things, hearing things and feeling strange. And when a routine extraction goes horribly wrong, he discovers that Lunar have their own plans for replacing him and the new recruit is eerily familiar.
Before he can return to Earth, Sam has to confront himself and the discovery that the life he has created, may not be his own. It’s more than his contract that is set to expire.” (Source: IMDb)

]]> By: solar http://greennationtoday.com/star-trek-and-helium-3-will-moon-mining-save-the-world-by-richard-blake-406.html/comment-page-1#comment-1411 solar Sun, 24 May 2009 02:08:33 +0000 http://greennationtoday.com/star-trek-and-helium-3-will-moon-mining-save-the-world-by-richard-blake-406.html#comment-1411 100 tons per year for the energy need of the entire Earth(only 20 ~ 40% out of them is H-3.) Moon provides important gravity pull for the Earth, chip away 100 tons every year will reduce the size of our only Moon? How soon it will affect the gravity? Gravity based on it's mass and how much we can shrink the Moon to satisfy our energy need? First we are ruining the Earth and Moon is the next? Some study may be needed before all these greedy parties starts to harvest H-3 from the Moon. We are not short of other alternative renewable energy sources like solar and winds. We shall leave Moon alone, maybe use it just a jumping point to other space explorations. If there did have other living species or universe has a community out there, what would they think what the human want from them? Harvesting 25 tons of their soils? Exploiting their rich minerals just like the Rich nations had done to African nations? Who wants human to visit their planets? We are not welcome in the Universe, just look at the badly damaged Earth. 100 tons per year for the energy need of the entire Earth(only 20 ~ 40% out of them is H-3.) Moon provides important gravity pull for the Earth, chip away 100 tons every year will reduce the size of our only Moon? How soon it will affect the gravity? Gravity based on it’s mass and how much we can shrink the Moon to satisfy our energy need? First we are ruining the Earth and Moon is the next? Some study may be needed before all these greedy parties starts to harvest H-3 from the Moon. We are not short of other alternative renewable energy sources like solar and winds. We shall leave Moon alone, maybe use it just a jumping point to other space explorations. If there did have other living species or universe has a community out there, what would they think what the human want from them? Harvesting 25 tons of their soils? Exploiting their rich minerals just like the Rich nations had done to African nations? Who wants human to visit their planets?
We are not welcome in the Universe, just look at the badly damaged Earth.

]]> By: Joel Raupe http://greennationtoday.com/star-trek-and-helium-3-will-moon-mining-save-the-world-by-richard-blake-406.html/comment-page-1#comment-1314 Joel Raupe Mon, 18 May 2009 17:46:18 +0000 http://greennationtoday.com/star-trek-and-helium-3-will-moon-mining-save-the-world-by-richard-blake-406.html#comment-1314 Excellent article, covering the story well. I would dispute only what is probably an underestimate of the abundance of Helium-3, The key is knowing where to look, the best proxy in remote sensing being the measurements of both iron and titanium oxide. Interestingly best estimates are that Helium-3 may be poor in the highlands and very abundant in the mare material making up 40 percent of the Nearside. Some estimate Helium-3 may make up 20 percent by weight in the Sea of Tranquility, for example. Depending on who one talks with, the breakthroughs necessary to making fusion power work, and on a far smaller plant scale than traditionally researched, are not as far away as 2050. Anyone interested in this subject is encouraged to examine the work mentioned at the University of Wisconsin Fusion Technology Institute. Work by Schmitt and colleagues there estimate that 2050 is precisely the year when this technology will be most needed. Excellent article, covering the story well. I would dispute only what is probably an underestimate of the abundance of Helium-3, The key is knowing where to look, the best proxy in remote sensing being the measurements of both iron and titanium oxide. Interestingly best estimates are that Helium-3 may be poor in the highlands and very abundant in the mare material making up 40 percent of the Nearside. Some estimate Helium-3 may make up 20 percent by weight in the Sea of Tranquility, for example.

Depending on who one talks with, the breakthroughs necessary to making fusion power work, and on a far smaller plant scale than traditionally researched, are not as far away as 2050. Anyone interested in this subject is encouraged to examine the work mentioned at the University of Wisconsin Fusion Technology Institute. Work by Schmitt and colleagues there estimate that 2050 is precisely the year when this technology will be most needed.

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