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The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

AAPG Special Volumes

Abstract

DOI:10.1306/13361569M1013548

Nuclear Power and Associated Environmental Issues in the Transition of Exploration and Mining on Earth to the Development of Off-world Natural Resources in the 21st Century

Michael D. Campbell,1 Jeffrey D. King,2 Henry M. Wise,3 Bruce Handley,4 James L. Conca,5 M. David Campbell6

1I2M Associates LLC, 1810 Elmen St., Houston, Texas, 77019, U.S.A. (e-mail: [email protected])
2I2M Associates LLC, 515 Lake St., South Kirkland, Washington, 98033, U.S.A. (e-mail: [email protected])
3Eagle Construction amp Environmental Services, L. P., La Porte, 915 Longview Dr., Sugar Land, Texas, U.S.A. (e-mail: [email protected])
4Consultant, 1518 Bradney Dr., Houston, Texas, 77077, U.S.A. (e-mail: [email protected])
5RJ Lee Group, 2710 N. 20th Ave., Pasco, Washington, 99301, U.S.A. (e-mail: [email protected])
6I2M Associates LLC, 1995 Fairlee Dr., San Diego, California, U.S.A. (e-mail: [email protected])

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Several individuals were instrumental in initiating and pursuing the research on the subjects treated throughout our investigations for this project, including William A. Ambrose, serving as cochair for the Astrogeology Committee of the AAPG, for suggesting that our group (the Uranium Committee [and Associates] of the Energy Minerals Division, AAPG]) look into the function that nuclear energy has in off-world missions to the Moon and elsewhere in the solar system and its likely function in the foreseeable future; H. Jack Schmitt, for his input on future lunar exploration and development and on developing helium-3 as the next possible source of energy used on Earth; James C. Wiley, for his views on the future of fusion technology and on the likely timing of commercialization of such energy; R. L. Rusty Schweickart, who not only provided input for this report on the various methods of Earth defense from rogue asteroids or comets and on methods that could be used to monitor and alter the orbits of such bodies but also wrote the Foreword to the senior author's first book published by McGraw-Hill on developing natural resources in 1973 (Schweickart, 1973); David R. Criswell, for his input on energy and the world economy and on the function that solar energy harnessed on the Moon and beamed to Earth could serve in the immediate future; Ruffin I. Rackley for his perspectives and current views toward mining off-world; Thomas C. Sutton for his reviews and comments during the various drafts of this document; and William H. Tonking for his reviews and comments with special emphasis on safety issues regarding the use of reactors in space and the development and operations of the space elevator and space tractor.

The views expressed here are solely those of the authors and may not represent the views of (1) those listed above who provided input to the authors during this investigation, (2) those members of the Uranium Committee who were not involved in this project, or (3) those cited in the references below.

Finally, the research for this project was conducted by selected members of EMD's Uranium Committee and associates. The funds involved in support of the research for this project were provided by M. D. Campbell and Associates, L.P., Houston, Texas, and Seattle, Washington (now I2M Associates, LLC). For ease of further research and reading, we have included links for copies of some of the Reference Cited articles at www.mdcampbell.com.

ABSTRACT

Once humans landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969, the goal of space exploration envisioned by United States President John F. Kennedy in 1961 was already being realized. Achievement of this goal depended on the development of technologies to turn his vision into reality. One technology that was critical to the success of this goal was the harnessing of nuclear power to run these new systems. Nuclear systems provide power for satellite and deep space exploratory missions. In the future, they will provide propulsion for spacecraft and drive planet-based power systems. The maturation of technologies that underlie these systems ran parallel to an evolving rationale regarding the need to explore our own solar system and beyond. Since the Space Race, forward-looking analysis of our situation on Earth reveals that space exploration will one day provide natural resources that will enable further exploration and will provide new sources for our dwindling resources and offset their increasing prices or scarcity on Earth. Mining is anticipated on the Moon for increasingly valuable commodities, such as thorium (Th) and samarium (Sm), and on selected asteroids or other moons as a demonstration of technology at scales never before imagined. In addition, the discovery of helium-3 on the Moon may provide an abundant power source on the Moon and on Earth through nuclear fusion technologies. However, until the physics of fusion is solved, that resource will remain on the shelf and may even be stockpiled on the Moon until needed. It is clear that nuclear power will provide the means necessary to realize these goals while advances in other areas will provide enhanced environmental safeguards in using nuclear power in innovative ways, such as a space elevator or by a ramjet space plane to deliver materials to and from the Earth's surface and personnel and equipment into space and a space gravity tractor to nudge errant asteroids and other bodies out of collision orbits. Nuclear systems will enable humankind to expand beyond the boundaries of Earth, provide new frontiers for exploration, ensure our protection, and renew critical natural resources while advancing spin-off technology on Earth. During the past ten years, China, Japan, India, and other countries have mounted serious missions to explore the Moon and elsewhere. Recent exploration discoveries by Japan on the Moon may mark the beginning of a new race to the Moon and into space to explore for and develop natural resources, including water (from dark craters to make hydrogen for fuel and oxygen, etc.), nuclear minerals (uranium, thorium, and helium-3), rare-earth minerals, and other industrial commodities needed for use in space and on Earth in the decades ahead.

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