Could This New Lunar Mineral Be The Future For Nuclear Energy?

Elijah Thomas-Williams

In 2020, a research team from China‘s National Space Administration discovered a new mineral within some lunar samples that they believed had the capability to become an energy source for nuclear fusion. They called this mineral Changesite-(Y) , naming it after the space mission it was discovered on which was called “Chang E-5 ''.

Changesite is a phosphate mineral that vitally contains Helium-3. Helium usually has two protons and neutrons , but this isotope contains 2 protons and one neutron making it stable. This extremely rare quality makes it invaluable because it is not radioactive nor are any of its reaction products. Reactors today most commonly feature deuterium and tritium which both create nuclear waste that is radioactive.

Another benefit of using Helium-3 is that only a small amount is necessary for huge amounts of energy to be released. For example , just one gram of this isotope creates around 164 megawatt-hours of energy. To put this immense amount of energy into context , one megawatt-hour of energy is enough to power an average American home for 1.2 months or drive an electric vehicle 3,600 miles.

As you may expect , there are some obstacles in the way of releasing nuclear energy without any radioactive waste. In order for nuclear energy to be released from Helium-3 , much higher temperatures than those in tritium and deuterium reactors would be required . The specifically high temperature that is needed to overcome the electrostatic repulsion of the nuclei is approximately six-hundred million degrees which is one scientists have not managed to create on earth yet. Also , it is extremely rare on earth and difficult to isolate. Although it does exist in the atmosphere , it is scarce , at 7.2 parts per trillion. However, it is estimated that there is around one million tons of it on the surface of the moon , which creates the possibility of it being a reliable fuel source in the coming years.

The head of the Chinese lunar exploration program has said that three space shuttle missions would bring sufficient fuel to supply the global population‘s energy demands for one year. Thus indicating that this could be the future for energy production. Although , this energy source may not be able to be harnessed in current times due to lack of ability to create such high temperatures , many experts believe that with future technological and scientific innovation , within the next two decades Helium-3 could be at the forefront of nuclear energy production.

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