Today is Helium 3 Day at Abiogenesis....Read On and Learn....

Helium-3 is a light, non-radioactive isotope of helium. The helion, the nucleus of a helium-3 atom, consists of two protons but only one neutron, in contrast to two neutrons in ordinary helium. Helium-3 is rare on Earth and sought-after for use in nuclear fusion research.

Future prospectors on the Moon may be assisted by an intriguing new lunar map developed by scientists in Arizona and Hawaii.

It shows places where the element helium-3 can be found in the lunar dirt. Helium-3 is rare on Earth, but more common on the Moon. Today's design of fusion reactor uses tritium as a fuel, an isotope of hydrogen extracted from sea water. But Helium-3 would be even more efficient and produce even less radioactive waste.

The helium-3 found in the lunar soil comes originally from the Sun. A stream of particles from the Sun, called the solar wind, contains helium-3 which is deposited on the Moon's surface. Many scientists believe that energy is the key to the exploration of the Moon and the development of its resources.

To extract one tonne of helium-3, it is estimated that 200 million tonnes of lunar soil would have to be processed. That is equivalent to mining the top 2 metres of a region 10 kms square. Some scientists believe that in the future it could be worth it. It would only require 25 tonnes of helium-3 to provide all the power that the United States needs in a year. Energy calculations suggest that the energy gained from Helium-3 mined on the Moon and shipped back to Earth would be 250 times that used to obtain it.

When the first lunar colony is established, perhaps in 20 years time, it is likely to be positioned near the Moon's south pole, near the so-called 'Peak of Eternal Light.' This mountain is in perpetual sunlight so solar panels on its slopes would provide constant energy.

Later colonies may move down onto the older lunar plains and set up strip-mining factories to extract helium-3 as well as hydrogen which can be used as a rocket fuel.