Russian Moon Mines Proposed for 2025

Tweet

According to Nikolai Sevastyanov, the president of Russia’s Energia Rocket and Space Corporation, Russian cosmonauts could be visiting the moon in an updated version of the Soyuz spacecraft in only six years in a three stage operation that will culminate in a Russian moon base being established by 2025 with view to mining raw materials from the lunar surface.

Of primarily interest is Helium-3, a metal that is commonly used in nuclear reactors and microchip technologies, that is extremely rare on Earth but is thought to be in abundant supply on the Moon. Mining is not the only consideration being put forward for the moon base, however, as the base could also be used as a foundation for industries considered as being harmful to the Earth’s environment and eco-system.

Following on from these proposed ventures, a flight to Mars, which is envisaged to take a four man crew two and a half years to complete, is being touted by Sevastyanov for 2025.

Unfortunately, as it stands, it would appear that the Russian government is yet to buy into Sevastyanov’s plans, though many insiders believe that his statements are geared towards securing the much needed state funding required in order for these projects to go ahead in what will no doubt transpire to be a sustained promotional campaign.

With US President George Bush having seemingly already committed to sending astronauts back to the moon in 2020, and to Mars thereafter, it is now very much in the Russian government’s hands as to whether we will see another “space race” in the near future.

The stakes are high, with scientists estimating that there could be around one million tons of Helium-3 on the moon. To put this into stark perspective, the entire US energy requirements for an entire year could be met by a mere 25 tons of this rare metal by means of fusion energy.

With fossil fuels rapidly diminishing, the moon’s ample deposits of Helium-3 could transpire to be not only of vital importance, but of significant commercial value.

Click to link back to the front page.