Monday, September 19, 2022

China discovers new mineral and a nuclear fusion energy source (helium-3) on the Moon

Amazing stuff!

"It seems China's Chang'E-5 robotic Moon mission has discovered more than water on the lunar surface. Scientists have confirmed the discovery of a new mineral, a transparent crystal named Changesite-(Y), as well as a promising potential fusion fuel. ...
China celebrated its first new mineral discovered on the Moon – and the sixth ever by mankind. ...
The sample analyzed ... brought back by the Chang'E 5 mission in 2020 – the first Moon rocks to be brought back to Earth since 1976. It's a single crystal particle with a radius of about 10 microns. ...
yielded the first numbers around the concentration of helium-3 in Moon dust ...
Helium-3 is thought of as a promising potential fuel for nuclear fusion. With two protons and just one neutron, it's unique as the only known stable isotope of any element that's got more protons than neutrons. ...
It's hit marks as high as US$17,540 per gram in recent times ...
The Moon's surface is believed to contain as much as 1.1 million metric tons of helium-3.  ..."

China discovers new mineral – and a fusion energy source – on the Moon



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