About the energy crisis, exploitation of the moon's resources and the NASA program
By: Yoram Botnik, professional editor of "Climateton" newspaper
Give me a hint of "energy" and I'll settle down. The institute's auditorium was indeed packed with students, faculty members, and many people from the aviation industry past and present. Dr. Moshe Bar-Lev transmits an Israeli simplicity of manners and even 'Palmah-cleanliness' that we hardly see in our places anymore. He is careful to emphasize that what he will present in the context of the energy crisis is not at all "the position of NASA" or of other unknown government bodies, but is based on a personal impression from visible sources. The bottom line: the USA and China have already started a renewed ('quiet') race to the moon in view of the technological possibility of mining there a helium isotope suitable for non-radioactive nuclear fusion, which will be an alternative source of energy to the fossil fuels on Earth. Admit that what he presents is fascinating - even if he is wrong (and some claim it is harmful), and who are we to miss that.
Well, within two decades, NASA astronauts will once again perform missions on the surface of the moon and pave the way for flights to Mars and beyond, says Bar-Lev at the beginning of his fascinating presentation, which included spectacular photos and illustrations from the American space agency's website. The program will be largely based on technologies and components that were developed and tested during the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs, and made possible a cheap, reliable, flexible and safe program.
Why design new space systems: The space shuttle was only designed for low earth orbit missions. The shuttle fleet will continue to serve the space station until the year 2010 and will stop its operations towards that date.
The shuttle, which includes a spacecraft and starting means, is a very complex system, requires a lot of maintenance, and its reliability and safety for its manned operation is problematic. However, a large part of the propulsion system components have been proven and may be used as components for a safer launch system.
NASA plans to return to the moon in 2018, establish permanent bases there and continue robotic and manned journeys throughout the solar system.
To perform these tasks, different spacecraft and launch systems must be designed than the space shuttle, Bar-Lev explains. NASA began planning the new spacecraft (based on the Apollo program and similar to the Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
The Crew Exploration Vehicle is also planned to perform the space shuttle missions in low orbits. CEV is not designed for aerodynamic landing and will be landed using parachutes. The new launch system will be largely based on the shuttle components and will include a heavy launcher for launching unmanned payloads, and a separate launcher designed for manned launch.
Manned systems designed for flight beyond Earth's orbit will be based on a separate launch of the astronauts and the means of propulsion, and their connection later in the flight path.
The program is compatible with all the manned space programs of the USA, notes Bar-Lev, with substantial advantages compared to the Apollo program:
• Doubling the size of the crew for the moon.
• Four times the crew hours on the moon for each landing.
• Landing on any point on the moon, return to KA at any time.
• Enables a permanent human presence as part of the preparations for Mars and beyond.
• Use of lunar resources, greater safety and reliability.
• At least two flights to the moon per year.
• A launcher that allows launching 125 tons for lunar missions and later to Mars and beyond.
• Crew safety at launch is higher than the current space shuttle, statistical failure chance: 1 in 2000 for the crew launcher, and 1 in 220 for the space shuttle.
• American system for servicing and maintaining the International Space Station.
• Gradual transition of the Space Shuttle workforce.
What is the connection to China's space programs and the energy crises?
So much for space flights. But, says Bar-Lev, the Chinese are planning to orbit the moon as early as 2007 and land a man there towards 2017. China is developing 'Shenzo X' spacecraft and launches up to 25 tons in weight. Their plan includes placing an astronomical telescope and testing the possibility of helium mining 3.
What is special about Helium 3?
• It is possible to develop with existing technologies a nuclear fusion reactor of helium 3 (which is an isotope of helium) and deuterium, using electrostatic fields instead of magnetic fields (instead of nuclear fission).
• A reactor for helium-3 reactions is inherently safe even in the most severe failure scenarios (there is almost no neutron emission). There is no risk of harm to civilians or exposure to radiation, there is no fear of radioactive damage and there is almost no nuclear waste. There are no exhaust gases from the reaction and there is no impact on the quality of the environment.
• Has a high efficiency of 70%. Helium 3 fusion potentially allows for direct electrical energy.
• On Earth, there is a very limited amount of it (10 kg). The existence of helium 3 on the surface of the moon was proven from samples that were returned to Israel. There are at least a million tons of it on the surface of the moon.
• 25 tons of helium 3 will supply the annual consumption of the USA, and its amount of energy on the surface of the moon is at least ten times greater than coal, oil and natural gas resources on Earth.
Objectives of the Moon return program
NASA plans a regular program of lunar landings and missions beginning in 2018 by landing four astronauts for an initial seven-day stay. The program is based on the use of Apollo and Space Shuttle components and technologies. The astronauts will land at any point on the surface of the moon, establish bases, and later transfer crews and cargo for a long stay of up to six months on the surface of the moon.
The South Pole is a candidate for a permanent base due to the existence of frozen water below the surface and constant illumination of sunlight, which may provide the necessary energy.
One of the stated reasons for this return is the possibility of demonstrating the ability of astronauts to live independently there while using the local resources to produce water, fuel and other products required for sustaining life and interstellar travel. The flight to Mars, for example, will take 500 days.
When at least two missions are performed per year, the need for a permanent base will increase. Over time the crews will stay for longer periods of time and learn to use the lunar resources, with the lunar landers continuing one-way trips to supply supplies. In the future, a round of changing teams will take place every six months. A lunar base three days' flight from Earth will allow practice of using local resources before the long flight to Mars. The heavy cargo launcher and the astronaut cells, the service cells and the propulsion system will be tested and gain experience for the flight to Mars and the use of its resources...
The plan: step by step
The mission begins by launching the lunar module and the moon exit stage by the heavy launcher powered by a pair of solid fuel boosters and five liquid fuel engines of the shuttle.
After the lunar module and the exit stage have been placed in orbit around KA, the astronauts will be launched on the vehicle launcher from the shuttle's solid accelerator as the first stage and the shuttle's liquid fuel engine as the second stage.
The crew vehicle (CEV) will connect to the lunar module and the exit stage in low earth orbit. After that, the crew vehicle and the lunar module will be launched by the exit stage to orbit beyond the Earth to the moon. The crew vehicle will allow the flight of six astronauts. In the first stage, an EST and cargo will be launched to and the International Space Station.An unmanned version of a crew vehicle will be used to transport cargo to the space station.
The details of the subsequent steps will be as follows:
1. The launch of the heavy launcher carrying the lunar module and the orbiting stage around KA.
2. After a few days, the astronauts are launched by another launcher with the crew vehicle.
3. The crew vehicle connects to the lunar module and the exit stage in orbit KA, the exit stage is activated to a lunar exit orbit.
4. Upon completion of its mission, the exit stage disengages and the crew vehicle and lunar module continue on their way to the moon.
5. Upon entering orbit around the moon, the Aster move from the crew vehicle to the lunar module, detach from it (it remains in orbit around the moon), and land on the surface of the moon.
6. After seven days on the surface of the moon the asters are launched into orbit by the upper stage of the lunar module.
7. After entering lunar orbit, the aster connects to the crew compartment that was 'waiting' for them, disconnects the lunar module stage and activates the engine of the service compartment to the orbit.
8. Upon completion of its duty, the service cell detaches from the master cell and performs an atmospheric entry maneuver.
9. An ablative heat shield protects the cabin during penetration into the atmosphere, the parachutes deploy before landing.
Utilization of lunar resources
According to calculations on the amount of volatiles in the first three meters of the lunar dust (regolith) there is also about a million tons of helium 3 there.
The possible uses for the moon drops are:
Water, rocket fuel, carbohydrates, oxygen - H2
Nuclear fusion energy - He 3
Atmosphere control, cryogenics - He 4
Life support, oxygen - water
Food, atmosphere control, reagents – N2
Food, carbohydrates, fuel – CO, CO2, CH4
Oxygen, metal production, Teflon – F2
Oxygen and metal production, reagents - CL2
Metal mining, sulfuric acid, explosives, construction materials - SO2
Box
Lagrange points where there is a balance between the gravity of the Earth and the Moon (and of bodies in space in general) will serve as 'permanent' logistical bases in space travel.
Appendix A: Technologically possible, practically problematic
Scientists estimate that there is about one million tons of helium 3 on the surface of the Moon, which may be enough to consume non-radioactive fusion energy on Earth for thousands of years. 25 tons, the weight that a space vehicle can carry in one flight, may be enough for the US's energy needs for a year. By the way, its price today, from production on Earth, is about 4 billion dollars per ton (in the energy equivalent of fossil fuel).
The helium 3 particles emitted from the sun reach the moon with the help of the solar wind, and the supporters of its use as the fuel of the future claim that it is better for this purpose than the first generation nuclear fuels deuterium and tritium, which are isotopes of hydrogen, which are used in nuclear power reactors today, but the research on its production and utilization for production Electricity is at the beginning of the road.
A facility or cell for nuclear fusion in the laboratory at the Research Institute for the subject in Wisconsin, USA, is the size of a basketball, says an expert, in which the electrostatic concentration of ions is carried out into a dense core with the help of a spherical mesh. After development, it will be possible to build Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion systems to produce neutrons and protons for energy production and also for medical uses.
But, as mentioned, by and large the problem is in the economic consideration of such a project. To produce, for example, 70 tons of helium 3 gas, one million tons of lunar ore must be mined and melted to a temperature of 800 degrees Celsius to release the gas.
Appendix B: There are better alternatives
Controlled nuclear fusion from deuterium-tritium reactions has been frustrating physicists for 50 years, comments Prof. Jacob Karni from the Weizmann Institute whom I interviewed a few months ago on alternative energy issues. Tens of billions of dollars have already been invested in this, with few results. For 35 years no one has returned to the moon because the business is too expensive, and we are very far from being able to produce volatiles there, especially helium, and the same goes for a reactor to melt it, because the associated expenses will also be huge.
It is nice to see the vision for conquering space and using it to produce cheap energy, but it is important to know that this will not solve our urgent energy problems in the next 40-50 years. The fact is that we have 'earthly' alternatives on a larger scale, shorter in time and at low costs - for example solar energy (within 5-10 years) or nuclear fission of thorium (within 20-30 years). The key question, says Carney, is a logical allocation of resources, and not just one that ignites the imagination.
