Former Apollo Astronaut and Senator Says Mining Helium on the Moon Could Solve The Global Energy Crisis
Back to the Moon? Apollo 11. Former Apollo astronaut Harrison Schmitt thinks we should go back to the moon, this time to tap its reserves of helium-3. NASA Former astronaut, Apollo moonwalker, geologist and former Senator Harrison Schmitt has a modest plan to solve the world's energy problems. All we need is $15 billion over 15 years and some fusion reactors that have yet to be invented. And we'll need a moon base. Schmitt's idea isn't novel--he thinks the U.S. should go back to the moon, this time to mine the surface for helium-3, an isotope of helium that is rare on earth but relatively bountiful on the moon. The Russians have been talking about mining helium-3 from the moon for years, but they've never put forth a viable plan. Schmitt thinks his, all things considered, is pretty realistic. So how does Schmitt's plan break down? We'll need $5 billion for a helium-3...