This Abundant Mineral on the Moon Could Power Humanity for Thousands of Years

This is also one of the motivations that urges countries to seek to conquer the Moon again .

China's Chang'e 5 mission has brought back a new mineral from the surface of the Moon. The mineral has been named "Changesite-(Y)" by Chinese scientists , who describe it as "a colorless, transparent cylindrical crystal ." In addition, Chinese scientists claim that the new mineral contains Helium-3 , an isotope of Helium that scientists have touted as a potential fuel for future fusion reactors.

This new crystal-like mineral is incredibly tiny, just one-tenth the size of a human hair. Yet it is of great interest to lunar geologists, as the helium-3 it contains has the potential to change the world.

Since the Apollo program, scientists have known that the Moon's surface contains deposits of Helium-3. Compared to the isotopes Tritium and Deuterium, the main advantage of Helium-3 is that it does not produce radioactive neutrons during fusion, making it safer . But the main disadvantage of Helium-3 is that fusion reactions using this isotope are much more difficult to control than those using other isotopes.

This clean fusion energy source could change the face of the world in ways never seen before.

While this isotope is abundant on the Moon, it is rare on Earth. This is because our planet is protected by a magnetic field that blocks solar winds, the main source of this isotope. The Moon, on the other hand, lacks this protection and has been exposed to solar winds for hundreds of millions of years.

According to scientists, if Helium-3 can be extracted from the Moon for use in nuclear fusion power plants, this energy source will be enough to supply humanity for "thousands or even tens of thousands of years".

Of course, the operationalization of helium-3 fusion technology remains a difficult problem. Helium-3 fusion may not become a reality before the turn of the century due to technical hurdles. Some changes in US energy and space policy could further promote the deployment of helium-3 fusion energy.

There are many reasons why major powers are returning to the Moon: scientific research, commercial opportunities, and the opportunity to demonstrate soft power. But China's return of Helium-3 to Earth has highlighted another reason why the race to conquer the Moon is back on . This clean, abundant source of fusion energy could change the face of the world in ways never seen before.

That's why, according to NASA, China is preparing the next phase of its lunar exploration program to establish a "research base" at the lunar south pole. In addition to building a research base in this area, China's future Chang'e 6, 7 and 8 missions will also aim to collect soil and rock samples, search for water sources and test base-building technology there.

China is likely working with Russia to plan for astronauts to land on the Moon in the 2030s.

Meanwhile, NASA has postponed the launch of the Artemis mission once or twice. And if all goes according to plan, the powerful Space Launch System rocket will lift off on September 27, with a backup launch date of October 2. When it lifts off, the mission will send the Orion spacecraft, loaded with instruments and other cargo, on a lengthy journey around the moon, before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.

Two other robotic space missions, Intuitive Machines and Astrobotic, are still scheduled to launch later this year or early next year.

If successful, they will land probes on the lunar surface, a testament to the effectiveness of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Systems (CLPS) program —a partnership with private companies to seriously explore the moon. Although the program was at one point threatened when one of the participants, Masten Space Systems, went bankrupt, more CLPS missions are expected in the future.