Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Russia to Mine on the Moon by 2020

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the no-shortage-of-volunteer-workers dept.

sxmjmae writes to tell us News.com is reporting that Russia has unveiled plans to establish a permanent mining operation on the moon by 2020 in order to extract the rare isotope Helium-3. From the article: "Helium-3 is a non-radioactive isotope of helium that can be used in nuclear fusion. Rare on earth but plentiful on the moon, it is seen by some experts as an ideal fuel because it is powerful, non-polluting and generates almost no radioactive by-product."

11 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. Had to be said.. by Tha_Big_Guy23 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let's go ahead and get this one out of the way...

    In Soviet Russia, the moon mines you...

    --
    If you're looking here for something insightful or thought provoking, you're probably looking in the wrong place.
  2. All I gotta say is... by topical_surfactant · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...good luck getting there. Moon landings require the combustion of huge piles of money.

    1. Re:All I gotta say is... by jcr · · Score: 2, Funny

      Moon landings require the combustion of huge piles of money.

      Yeah, but a huge pile of Russian money isn't so bad...

      -jcr

      --
      The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
  3. And further... by Billosaur · · Score: 4, Funny
    The International Space Station (ISS) would play a key role in the project and a regular transport relay to the moon would be established with the help of the planned Clipper spaceship and the Parom, a space capsule intended to tug heavy cargo containers around space, Mr Sevastyanov said.

    "Then we will be able to drop bombs on... is microphone still on?"

    --
    GetOuttaMySpace - The Anti-Social Network
  4. Re:Great energy source! by temojen · · Score: 2, Funny

    Not to mention stringing a power line between here and there.

  5. 2020? by TheRaven64 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Russia to mine the moon, Sweden to abandon fossil fuels... It seems like 2020 is a popular year today. I wonder if I'll have my flying car by then.

    --
    I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  6. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 3, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  7. Re:Great energy source! by misleb · · Score: 2, Funny

    Maybe a space elevator could double as as a a "space extension cord." Or maybe we could beam the energy back with a REALLY strong laser which is converted back to electricity here on Earth.

    -matthew

    --
    "THERE IS NO JUSTICE, THERE IS ONLY ME." -Death
  8. Re:Great energy source! by drinkypoo · · Score: 2, Funny

    If we could come up with a gen-u-wine room temperature superconductor, we could just weave some into the space elevator, beam the power to the station from other satellites, and run the power that way... And if I grew wings, I could fly home...

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  9. I like it better this way... by Elyjah · · Score: 3, Funny

    In Soviet Russia, MINE moons YOU!

  10. Re:Straight from the horse's mouth. by macdaddy357 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Here is a top scientist from the Russian Space Agency explaining why they want to go to the moon so badly.

    --
    How ya like dat?