Can helium-3 be used in nuclear fusion?

One of the main resources coveted by major powers and located on the Moon is helium-3, an isotope that is known since 1988 to be useful for nuclear fusion.

Where can I get helium-3?

The abundance of helium-3 is thought to be greater on the Moon than on Earth, having been embedded in the upper layer of regolith by the solar wind over billions of years, though still lower in abundance than in the Solar System’s gas giants.

What is the price of helium-3?

about $140 million
At $1400 per gram, one hundred kilograms (220 pounds) of helium-3 would be worth about $140 million. One hundred kilograms constitutes more than enough fuel to potentially power a 1000 megawatt electric plant for a year when fused with deuterium, the terrestrially abundant heavy isotope of hydrogen.

Can helium-3 power the world?

Helium-3 (He3) is gas that has the potential to be used as a fuel in future nuclear fusion power plants. There is very little helium-3 available on the Earth. However, there are thought to be significant supplies on the Moon.

Is helium-3 worth going to the Moon?

According to the study, mining it would be a profitable undertaking: the energy produced by the helium-3 would be 250 times greater than that needed to extract this resource from the Moon and transport it to Earth, where the lunar reserves of helium-3 could supply human needs for centuries.

Is China mining helium-3 on the Moon?

Currently, the only company mapping helium-3 fields on the far side of the Moon is China. The Chang’e 4 mission was launched in 2019, and its primary mission is to map the location of helium-3 deposits.

Can helium-3 be used as rocket fuel?

Helium-3, an isotope of helium with two protons and one neutron, could be fused with deuterium in a reactor. The resulting energy release could expel propellant out the back of the spacecraft. Helium-3 is proposed as a power source for spacecraft mainly because of its lunar abundance.

Does Mars have helium-3?

Mars has no known helium-3 resources.

How big is the diamond planet?

55 Cancri e has a radius twice as big as Earth’s A large, rocky planet composed partially of diamonds has been discovered by astronomers at Yale University. The planet, called 55 Cancri e, has a radius twice as big as Earth’s and a mass eight times greater.