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Repulsive-Lake1753 t1_j258apq wrote

Fun fact, the moon has a near unlimited supply of a specific isotope of Helium that is the perfect fuel for a nuclear reactor. Much like fusion, it's still in beginning stages, but because it's still based on fission, it's at least not in it's infancy. Let's call it the toddler stage. I personally think we're more likely to start bringing this fuel back from the moon vs figuring our functioning fusion.

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Rough-Lavishness-401 OP t1_j25vy5l wrote

That's really cool actually. Do you know if we can recreate it here, and if so, do we avoid it because of cost?

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Repulsive-Lake1753 t1_j25wnlr wrote

It doesn't exist naturally on earth, the sun creates it but it bounces off the atmosphere. So it's just collecting on the surface of the moon, it's something ridiculous like enough possible fuel in just the sea of tranquility to power the US at current rates for hundreds of years.

When I first read about it, the story was that it was discovered as a by-product of servicing nuclear weapons and the physicists were like "man, wish we had more of this" and then like 20 years later the nuclear physicists and the astrophysicists were chatting, the nuclear bros brought it up and the space bros were like "that shit is literally just all over the moon". Not sure if true but funny story.

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Rough-Lavishness-401 OP t1_j260c0e wrote

Yh very funny if true ahahah

And although we can't bring it here (well at least for now who knows in 50 to 100 years) we already have an energy source for a moon colonie

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