NASA recently announced plans to
put a man back on the moon by 2019. It seems so last century to be going to the moon, specifically
like 1969. But since the
Chinese and Japanese have recently started their own space race, it looks like the US is going to attempt the trip again 60 years later.
Considering that Russia is currently only one of two countries involved in ongoing human space travel, it seems like cooperation with the Russians might be a good idea because this
trip will be expensive at $104 billion. (And if you are still thinking Russia is poor, consider that
Russia's 2007 first quarter surplus was $18 billion.) Additionally, the US will likely
not have a space shuttle program from 2010 until
2015 when the delayed Orion will be ready for flight. Although,
some detractors criticize the Russian space program for its tourism, the
US recently contracted with the Russian space program for $719 million to provide space transportation services, so NASA must see the Russian space program as a solid partner.
So recently when the
Russians announced that NASA had snubbed them on cooperation on travel to the moon. NASA states that
the snub was more of a misunderstanding that occurred while signing the above mentioned contract.
Now, to the point of all the above linkage...
One newspaper reports the reason NASA will not explore the moon together with the Russians is that NASA wants to monopolize isotope Helium-3 from the moon which could replace fossil fuels. (
About Helium-3.)
Quote:
NASA announced in December that it was planning to build an international base camp on one of the moon's poles, permanently staffing it by 2024. The Russian space rocket manufacturer Energia revealed an even more ambitious program last August, saying it would build a permanent moon base by 2015.
While the Americans have been either coy or dismissive on the subject, Russia openly says the main purpose of its lunar program is the industrial extraction of helium-3.
While critics dismiss it a 21st-century equivalent of the medieval alchemist's fruitless quest to turn lead into gold, some scientists say helium-3 could be the answer to the world's energy woes.
As helium-3 is non-polluting and effective in tiny quantities, many countries are taking it very seriously. Germany, India and China, which will launch a lunar probe to research extraction techniques in September, are all studying ways to mine the isotope.
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To me it sounds like either a great
conspiracy theory or a
pipe dream. Many
conspiracy theorists speculate the US never went to the moon and now we have people believing that there is a magic fuel under the moon rocks. Next, we will have an offshoot conspiracy branch believing that the Apollo 11 crew intentionally left the isotope on the moon at the request of the energy industry.
Oh, enough about
conspiracy theories, let's go to the moon!
A Second Space Race to the Moon for the Isotope Helium-3 
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