Impact of lunar volatiles produced during He-3 mining activities

It has been known for some time that the rare isotope He-3, found on the surface of the moon, will be a valuable fusion fuel in the 21st century. However, the by-products from the lunar mining process, H2, H2O, He-4, N2, CO, CO2, and CH4, have only received cursory study to the present time. It is found in this study that the volatile by-products may even be more valuable to space travelers than the He-3 used in safe, clean, and economical reactors on the Earth. The fact that over 18,000 tons of volatiles will be evolved for every tonne of He-3 extracted on the moon, and that these volatiles can be used for everything from producing power in fuel cells to life support and rocket fuel, suggests that the development of a He-3 economy may be the key to establishing a permanent human presence in space as well as a stable economy on the Earth. (Author)