Mining the Moon: the resources and their usage
The global interest in the Moon has increased significantly in recent years. That is more or less because of what the Moon can give us in the shape of different resources. NASA has discovered that the Moon is rich in metals such as iron and calcium. That is why several countries in the world are now in a race to mine the Moon for resources.
Mining the Moon is definitely going to make some people billionaires. The Moon Express has estimated that the total value of the Moon extractable resources amounts to $16,000,000,000,000,000 (read like 16 quadrillion dollars); that is 800 times larger than the US GDP at its peak in 2018.
Now, let’s see which resources is the Moon abundant in, and what they are valuable for.
The Moon resources
Geological studies have previously shown that essential categories of resources on the Moon are as follows:
· Water
· Helium-3
· Metals
· Rare earth elements
Water, which has been lately found on the Moon, is a hugely exciting discovery. A lot of the water on the Moon is in the form of ice. These water deposits mainly exist on the poles of the Moon. Scientists estimate that there are roughly 3 to 10s of billions of metric tons of H2O on the Moon.
Also, it is estimated that there are over one million tons of Helium-3 deposited on the Moon. While Helium-3 concentration in the Earth’s atmosphere is 7.2 parts per trillion (ppt), it is from 13 up to 50 parts per billion (ppb) in the Moon surface minerals.
Scientists say that there are plenty of valuable minerals on the Moon that consist of different elements such as calcium, iron, titanium, aluminum, silicon, magnesium, uranium, potassium, and phosphorus.
Rare earth elements are also abundant and concentrated on the Moon. Although rare earth elements are less abundant on the Moon than on the Earth, the fact that on the Earth they are typically dispersed and not often found concentrated makes mining them on the Moon economically reasonable.
What are the Moon resources good for?
Water
Water is crucial for supporting life and agriculture in space. In addition to that, water can be converted into rocket fuel and fuel cells. This can be done through technologies such as Power-to-X which is able to separate hydrogen and oxygen in water molecules. What is more, the following industries will need more and more water in the years to come:
· Satellite Refueling
· International Space Station
· Moon Bases
· Mars Space Station
· Tourism and Hotels
· Lunar Gateway
· Space Agriculture
It is good to know that the use of hydrogen and oxygen molecules in the rocket fuels industry can generate $2.4 billion in revenue annually. WGM, a Toronto based geological and mining consulting company has estimated that the market value for the Moon’s water is $206 billion over the next 30 years, which is a jaw-dropping figure if you can imagine it.
Helium-3
Helium-3 is a rare Helium isotope that can be used in nuclear fusion. Mining Helium-3 can have a significant impact on the Earth and the environment. Helium-3 is a clean, non-radioactive energy source that can power nuclear fusion reactors. Even a relatively small amount of Helium-3 can produce enough clean fuel to power entire industries or even the whole planet.
Helium-3 is extremely scarce on the Earth and can be unbelievably worthwhile upon extraction. Scientists have estimated that about 220 pounds of Helium-3 are worth as much as $141 million. This amount of Helium-3 is enough to power a city the size of Dallas or Detroit for a whole year. To be more specific, experts have estimated that the whole Helium-3 on the Moon can theoretically supply the U.S. electricity demand for 80,000 years.
Metals
Different metals and metalloids can open a vast majority of opportunities. To mention only some, the following list shows the applications of some of the metals found on the Moon:
· Titanium: create strong, lightweight alloys for the aerospace industry.
· Aluminum: a good electrical conductor which can be used as good, solid rocket fuel.
· Silicon: produce solar panel arrays, glass, fiberglass, and useful ceramics.
· Calcium: a good electrical conductor in the absence of oxygen which can also be used to make ceramic.
· Magnesium: aerospace, automotive, and electronics industries.
Rare earth elements
Rare earth elements are also useful to manufacture a plethora of products from electric or hybrid vehicles to wind turbines, different electronic devices, and even clean energy.
And the list goes on; the advantages of mining these materials from the Moon are countless.
The bottom line
It is needless to say that mining the Moon gives birth to numberless possibilities for the future. In recent years, powerful countries such as the U.S., Russia, China, and India are in a race to mine the Moon and make the resources theirs. Although the Moon Treaty document in 1979 stipulated that no nation can mine resources in outer space, these governments are unstoppably paving their way to the Moon to extract the resources.
NASA is intending to send the humans back to the Moon by 2024 through the Artemis program, in addition to Chinese, Russian, and Indian new programs to discover the Moon and bring back the extracted resources. We need to wait and see who wins the race at the end.
