Why Moon? THE RACE FOR SPACE FUEL.

So today lets talk about a celestial body that has always been associated to myths and legends and to this day has been a source of various stories. Even today this natural satellite does not only add to the beauty of the dark sky but also impacts the life in ways one cannot imagine.

Yes it is well known that moon affects the tides and various other phenomenon which in turn affect the life on earth but in 21st century moon means much more, even more than what it meant in 20th century.

20th century saw 2 superpowers fight to reach moon first & then to send their people on moon, still today reaching the moon is a feat only few nations have achieved ( unmanned).

But why is moon so important you ask?

 YES WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THE SENSE OF SUPERIORITY & THE NATIONALISM RELATED THINGS WHICH HAS PUSHED MANKIND TO REACH MOON BEFORE OTHER FELLOW HUMANS FROM OTHER NATIONS CAN BUT

Today it means much more, much much more. Today its not just a race to reach moon but a race to explore the resources it holds.

Resources you say? YES, RESOURCES.

MOON holds much more than most people know, as we humans are experiencing the population boon and the power requirements are seeing an unprecedented surge it is very clear that it is impossible for our future generations to rely on natural resources of earth esp the non renewable ones.

But nuclear technology can power earth for many centuries, yes it theoretically can even if we consider the growth in power demands rising multifolds but Nuclear energy generated by nuclear reactions esp using conventional radioactive materials like URANIUM and other materials leave nuclear waste, the nuclear waste is highly toxic and radioactive and is a big challenge. Nuclear energy is not as clean as it is often believed to be, the waste generated still has to be stored safely and one wrong mistake can lead to another accident.

How is this realted to moon? Well it is

This is where Moon comes to play, moon has an abundance of a material or isotope called HELIUM 3 (HE-3). Helium 3 is believed to be a perfect fuel for nuclear reactions as it releases a large amount of energy during nuclear fusion and in the process it doesn't make the surrounding materials radioactive and hence not leaving nuclear waste.

But the problem with it is on earth HELIUM 3 is rare and the higher amount of it is present in earths mantle which means it is impossible to extract helium 3 ( with the present technologies), but MOON on other hand has abundance of helium 3 atleast theoretically.

On earth it is rare because our atmosphere doesnt allow the solar storms or the space radiation to that limit but moon has been facing solar storms for billions of years without any protective layer, this means technically the surface of moon must have abundance of helium 3 isotope. This means if we can bring back the helium 3 in economical amounts moon will be more or less a mine for nuclear fusion material and it can be used to meet our power demands. This technically mean we will have a source of a cleaner if not fully clean energy without the worry of exhausting natural resources.

This is the reason why nations like ours, China and all the advanced nations are rushing towards the moon, not just as a symbolic gesture if technological prowess but also as a way to establish dominance in future.

I have just scratched the surface for why moon is a vital destination and this is a multilayered thing but now you know one reason why all nations are looking towards the MOON like its a BALL OF CHEESE.

-HITESH ADHIKARI