So is Helium3 going to solve our problems then?

Question

If we are willing to pay the price of going to the the moon to get it:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/broadband/tx/moonsale/

it will be fusion reactors all round won't it?

Or will we have World War III squabbling over who has right to what?

Isn't it worth getting it right this time, because fusion power will give clean and virtually limitless energy for everybody - 'we can have our cake and eat it' this time can't we?

Surely the balance of power is going to be a lot more interesting this time round, because the Russians have got clout and now so also do the Chinese - wouldn't you say?

For once the Americans are going to have to learn the meaning of the word HUMILITY - that's assuming they can spell it! Probably be more like HOOMILETY or some such rubbish!

Answer 1

Helium3 is a load of manure. It takes over ten times as much pressure to fuse as deuterium/tritium mix. A lot of politicians and a few astronauts and a whole bunch of media morons keep talking about it without having any idea what they're talking about.

Answer 2

He3 can be made cheaply on earth, there is no reason to go to the moon to get it. It can be created by the reaction D+D->He3+n. Also it is harder to ignite a fusion reaction using D and He3 for fuel, but not that much harder. The real advantage of using He3 is that the products of the reaction D+He3->p+alpha are both charged and direct energy techniques can be used to capture 90+% of the energy released.