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India readies plan to get from moon n-fuel enough to power the world for centuries

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7 years ago

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India readies plan to get from moon n-fuel enough to power the world for centuries

India’s space program wants to go where no nation has gone before – to the south side of the moon, said a Bloomberg report. And once India gets there, says the report, it will study the potential for mining a source of waste-free nuclear energy that could be worth trillions of dollars.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) – the nation’s equivalent of NASA – will launch a rover in October to explore virgin territory on the lunar surface and analyze crust samples for signs of water and helium-3. That isotope is limited on Earth yet so abundant on the moon that it theoretically could meet global energy demands for 250 years if harnessed.

“The countries which have the capacity to bring that source from the moon to Earth will dictate the process,” said ISRO chairman K Sivan, “I don’t want to be just a part of them, I want to lead them.”

The mission would solidify India’s place among the fleet of explorers racing to the moon, Mars and beyond for scientific, commercial or military gains. The governments of the US, China, India, Japan and Russia are competing with startups and billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson to launch satellites, robotic landers, astronauts and tourists into the cosmos.

The rover landing is one step in an envisioned series for ISRO that includes putting a space station in orbit and, potentially, an Indian crew on the moon. The government has yet to set a timeframe.

“We are ready and waiting,” said Sivan, an aeronautics engineer who joined ISRO in 1982. “We’ve equipped ourselves to take on this particular program.”

China is the only country to put a lander and rover on the moon this century with its Chang’e 3 mission in 2013. The nation plans to return later this year by sending a probe to the unexplored far side.

In the US, President Donald Trump signed a directive calling for astronauts to return to the moon, and NASA’s proposed $19 billion budget this fiscal year calls for launching a lunar orbiter by the early 2020s.

ISRO’s estimated budget is less than a 10th of that – about $1.7 billion – but accomplishing feats on the cheap has been a hallmark of the agency since the 1960s. The upcoming mission will cost about $125 million – or less than a quarter of Snap Inc. co-founder Evan Spiegel’s compensation last year, the highest for an executive of a publicly traded company, according to the Bloomberg Pay Index.

This won’t be India’s first moon mission. The Chandrayaan-1 craft, launched in October 2008, completed more than 3,400 orbits and ejected a probe that discovered molecules of water in the surface for the first time.

The upcoming launch of Chandrayaan-2 includes an orbiter, lander and a rectangular rover. The six-wheeled vehicle, powered by solar energy, will collect information for at least 14 days and cover an area with a 400-meter radius.

The rover will send images to the lander, and the lander will transmit those back to ISRO for analysis.

A primary objective, though, is to search for deposits of helium-3. Solar winds have bombarded the moon with immense quantities of helium-3 because it’s not protected by a magnetic field like Earth is.

The presence of helium-3 was confirmed in moon samples returned by the Apollo missions, and Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt, a geologist who walked on the moon in December 1972, is an avid proponent of mining helium-3.

“It is thought that this isotope could provide safer nuclear energy in a fusion reactor, since it is not radioactive and would not produce dangerous waste products,” the European Space Agency said.

There are an estimated 1 million metric tons of helium-3 embedded in the moon, though only about a quarter of that realistically could be brought to Earth, said Gerald Kulcinski, director of the Fusion Technology Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a former member of the NASA Advisory Council.

That’s still enough to meet the world’s current energy demands for at least two, and possibly as many as five, centuries, Kulcinski said. He estimated helium-3’s value at about $5 billion a ton, meaning 250,000 tons would be worth in the trillions of dollars.

To be sure, there are numerous obstacles to overcome before the material can be used – including the logistics of collection and delivery back to Earth and building fusion power plants to convert the material into energy. Those costs would be stratospheric.

“If that can be cracked, India should be a part of that effort,” said Lydia Powell, who runs the Centre for Resources Management at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation think tank. “If the cost makes sense, it will become a game-changer, no doubt about it.”

Plus, it won’t be easy to mine the moon. Only the U.S. and Luxembourg have passed legislation allowing commercial entities to hold onto what they have mined from space, said David Todd, head of space content at Northampton, England-based Seradata Ltd. There isn’t any international treaty on the issue.

“Eventually, it will be like fishing in the sea in international waters,” Todd said. “While a nation-state cannot hold international waters, the fish become the property of its fishermen once fished.”

India’s government is reacting to the influx of commercial firms in space by drafting legislation to regulate satellite launches, company registrations and liability, said GV Anand Bhushan, a Chennai-based partner at the Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. law firm. It doesn’t cover moon mining.

Yet the nation’s only spaceman isn’t fully on board with turning the moon into a place of business.

Rakesh Sharma, who spent almost eight days aboard a Russian spacecraft in 1984, said nations and private enterprises instead should work together to develop human colonies elsewhere as Earth runs out of resources and faces potential catastrophes such as asteroid strikes.

“You can’t go to the moon and draw boundaries,” Sharma said. “I want India to show that we’re capable of utilizing space technology for the good of people.” – Bloomberg

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NASA astronauts Sunita Williams, Nick Hague step outside spacecraft after 7 months

Williams’ extensive experience continues to shine during these demanding missions, highlighting the resilience and skill required for space exploration.

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1 week ago

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January 17, 2025

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NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Nick Hague stepped outside the International Space Station (ISS) today for a vital mission, marking Williams’ eighth spacewalk and Hague’s fourth. Their objective focused on essential repairs, showcasing their expertise and commitment to the job.

The spacewalk, designated US Spacewalk 91, took place on January 16, 2025. This was Williams’ first spacewalk in 12 years, while Hague added a fourth accomplishment to his impressive track record. Together, they initiated a six-and-a-half-hour operation aimed at repairing critical systems on the ISS.

Their tasks included maintaining equipment for the station’s orientation, upgrading the Neutron Star Interior Composition ExploreR (NICER) telescope, and replacing a reflector on a docking adapter, as well as preparing tools for future work on the ISS. Williams, an accomplished astronaut, expressed her enthusiasm as she exited the station by radioing, “I’m coming out,” signalling her return to spacewalking duties.

Williams and her fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore were initially scheduled to return in June 2024 after a week-long mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner, but technical issues with the spacecraft forced an extended stay. NASA has since rescheduled their return for March or April. Additionally, safety concerns related to SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission have further delayed their plans. Nevertheless, the astronauts have adjusted well to life aboard the ISS.

NASA’s Flight Director, Nicole McElroy, commended the crew for their thorough preparations for the spacewalks. “The crew has studied the tasks and is fully ready,” McElroy noted.

https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1879916338527002938

Williams will join Wilmore for another spacewalk next week, where they will focus on removing an antenna assembly and collecting surface samples to study microorganisms on the station’s exterior. They will also prepare a spare elbow joint for the Canadarm2 robotic arm. NASA emphasizes that these activities are crucial for the upkeep of the station, with each spacewalk anticipated to last around six and a half hours.

Williams’ extensive experience continues to shine during these demanding missions, highlighting the resilience and skill required for space exploration.

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ISRO successfully completes SpaDeX docking experiment, joins global elite in space technology

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2 weeks ago

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January 16, 2025

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ISRO SpaDeX mission demonstrating satellite docking for India’s space station

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted the SpaDeX docking experiment, marking a significant advancement in India’s space capabilities. Early on Thursday, January 16, 2025, ISRO joined the ranks of the USA, Russia, and China by mastering the complex technology required for spacecraft docking in orbit.

Launched on December 30, 2024, by the PSLV C60, the two satellites involved in the experiment, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), reached their designated positions and executed a flawless docking maneuver. This operation was closely monitored by the team at ISRO’s Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at the Telemetry, Tracking, and Command Network (ISTRAC).

Celebrating this achievement, ISRO shared on social media, “Docking Success Spacecraft docking successfully completed! A historic moment. India became the 4th country to achieve successful space docking. Congratulations to the entire team!”

Following the successful docking, ISRO has maintained control over the newly unified satellite structure and plans to conduct undocking and power transfer tests in the forthcoming days. This mission, beyond its immediate success, aims to lay the groundwork for more ambitious endeavors such as manned lunar missions, sample returns from the moon, and potentially an Indian Space Station.

The SpaDeX mission also serves as a demonstration of vital technologies like electrical power transfer between docked spacecraft, which will be crucial for future in-space robotic operations and composite spacecraft management post-undocking.

ISRO stated that the next steps involve validating the docking process through ground simulations and ensuring the mission’s objectives continue smoothly with subsequent experiments planned over the mission’s expected life span of up to two years.

This milestone not only demonstrates ISRO’s growing capabilities in space technology but also promises to bolster India’s position in future international space exploration initiatives.

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SpaDeX Mission: A key milestone in India’s path to the Bharatiya Antriksh Station

Published

4 weeks ago

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December 31, 2024

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ISRO SpaDeX mission demonstrating satellite docking for India’s space station

In a historic step towards establishing its own space station, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) from Sriharikota on December 30, 2024. This groundbreaking mission aims to demonstrate India’s capability to dock two satellites in orbit, a feat achieved so far only by the United States, Russia, and China.

The SpaDeX mission, executed aboard the reliable PSLV-C60 rocket, successfully deployed two spacecraft, SDX01 and SDX02, into a low-Earth orbit approximately 475 kilometers above Earth. Over the following days, these satellites, designated as the “Chaser” and the “Target,” will perform precise maneuvers for docking, undocking, and interlocking, with real-time control by ISRO scientists in Bengaluru.

A leap towards Bharatiya Antriksh Station

SpaDeX is integral to India’s ambitious space station project, the Bharatiya Antriksh Station, slated for completion by 2035. The mission marks a significant step in developing technologies for rendezvous and docking, essential for constructing and operating a space station.

Currently, only two space stations exist—the International Space Station (ISS), a collaboration between NASA, Roscosmos, and ESA, and China’s Tiangong Space Station. With Bharatiya Antriksh Station, India aspires to join this elite league.

Critical objectives of SpaDeX

The primary goals of SpaDeX include:

  1. Demonstrating docking technology to ensure seamless interlocking and pressure checks between spacecraft.
  2. Electric power transfer between docked spacecraft, paving the way for advanced in-space operations.
  3. Composite spacecraft control, enabling remote and automated management from mission control.
  4. Payload experiments post-undocking, ensuring optimal utilization of resources.

These advancements will also enhance the docking capability of India’s Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV), akin to NASA’s space shuttles, for future missions.

Microgravity experiments with POEM-4

In tandem with SpaDeX, ISRO is conducting microgravity experiments using the PSLV’s fourth stage, termed POEM-4 (PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-4). This platform hosts 24 payloads, including a robotic arm to simulate debris capture—a crucial capability for future space station operations.

The microgravity experiments will benefit academia, startups, and ISRO’s own research centers, providing invaluable insights for extended-duration missions.

Inspiration from “Interstellar”

Docking in space is a complex maneuver, vividly dramatized in the sci-fi film Interstellar. Similar to the movie’s high-stakes scenario, ISRO’s mission involves the Chaser spacecraft approaching and interlocking with the Target while both orbit Earth at high speeds.

Pioneering India’s space future

The SpaDeX mission is not just a technological milestone but a testament to India’s growing prowess in space exploration. If successful, it will cement India’s position as a leader in cutting-edge space technology, bringing the nation closer to realizing its space station dream.

By leveraging such innovations, ISRO continues to push boundaries, inspiring the next generation of scientists and contributing to global advancements in space research.

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