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Science China to Map Soil on Moon's Surface
Michael Hoffman (Blog) - September 7, 2007 12:49 PM

22 comment(s) - last by chick0n.. on Sep 10 at 12:00 AM

Artist rendering of Chang'e I orbiting the moon (Source: Xinhua)

The search for moon cheese is on!

The Chinese space program has a number of neat scientific space experiments planned for the future, but one of them really grabbed my attention.

The country wants to measure every square inch of land on the moon's surface, said a Chinese space official. One goal of the project will be to be able to learn how much helium-3 -- a non-radioactive isotope crucial for nuclear fusion research -- is located in the moon's soil.

It was reported earlier in the year that China's first lunar orbiter, the Chang'e I, will hopefully launch sometime in the later part of 2007. The Chang'e I will be responsible for taking the majority of pictures that Chinese scientists will use to put together the map.

China previously announced its three tiers of space exploration: first satellite and manned spacecraft launches, then the ambitious moon probe project. The country has successfully put three taikonauts into space, with more launches planned for the future.

Speaking of the expanding China space program, a senior official said the the country is not competing with other space nations. The Chinese lunar program will continue at its own pace -- no matter what other space nations are doing, according to Hao Xifan, Lunar Exploration Center of Commission of Science Technology and Industry for National Defense.

Strong progress of the Chinese space program likely means more concerns over a possible space arms race between China, Russia and the United States - the fears reached a new level after China successfully destroyed an old satellite in orbit.

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This is is going to be Awesome

By GrandMareg on 9/7/2007 1:38:32 PM , Rating: 2

Now that we have some competition we may be able to see advancement in technology similar to years ago.

Who's with me on creating a business in mining the Moon?

RE: This is is going to be Awesome

By DigitalFreak on 9/7/2007 2:21:29 PM , Rating: 1

If the Chinese ever colonized the moon, they'd starve. There's no cats on the moon.

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RE: This is is going to be Awesome

By mdogs444 on 9/8/2007 11:59:27 AM , Rating: 1

As much as i personally dislike cats (yes im a dog person), that is a really wrong and distasteful thing to say.

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RE: This is is going to be Awesome

By chick0n on 9/10/07, Rating: -1

RE: This is is going to be Awesome

By chick0n on 9/10/07, Rating: 0

RE: This is is going to be Awesome

By therealnickdanger on 9/7/2007 2:55:58 PM , Rating: 2

Well, I'm not sure there really is any competition. We went to the moon several times 40 years ago and brought back actual pieces of the moon. I'm pretty sure that we already know vastly more than the Chinese about the Moon's composition.

Moon-mining is great, but you need to have something to support the need and distribution of whatever we mine. First step is to get a moon base, then hopefully make it self-sustaining, then expand, explore, and MINE!!!! :P

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RE: This is is going to be Awesome

By smitty3268 on 9/7/2007 3:53:00 PM , Rating: 2

Do we actually have any secret information on the moon that wasn't shared decades ago? I doubt it. I also doubt this will start up any competition, as the American people simply don't care about it anymore.

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RE: This is is going to be Awesome

By LogicallyGenius on 9/7/07, Rating: -1

RE: This is is going to be Awesome

By SiliconAddict on 9/9/2007 3:49:42 AM , Rating: 2

You sir are a dumbass.

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RE: This is is going to be Awesome

By DeepBlue1975 on 9/7/2007 3:04:45 PM , Rating: 1

Don't know about that, but I'd like chip makers to build CPU fabs in the moon.
The performance of that kind of chips would be "out of this world", for sure.

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RE: This is is going to be Awesome

By S3anister on 9/7/2007 5:36:55 PM , Rating: 2

no. just, no.

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RE: This is is going to be Awesome

By Combatcolin on 9/8/2007 10:44:58 AM , Rating: 2

The Joke police will be round soon to administer justice.

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RE: This is is going to be Awesome

By mikeyD95125 on 9/8/2007 3:25:23 PM , Rating: 2

That was bad.

Is this "helium-3" not found on Earth? OR is it just extremely rare?

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RE: This is is going to be Awesome

By lompocus on 9/8/2007 9:32:14 PM , Rating: 2

It's on Earth, but it's just extremely rare and hard to find.

It's used for cold-fusion I believe, which produces amounts of power equivalent to what our Sun produces.

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RE: This is is going to be Awesome

By lompocus on 9/8/2007 9:28:56 PM , Rating: 2

Here's the thing: Russia lacks the economy to do 'anything' on the moon right now, China is making a map no different than Google Earth, but smaller, and Japan and Europe lack sufficient capacity to reach space without NASA or Russia or one of the AMERICAN civilian corporations.

In fact, if there's any other reason to prove the United States will forever be unparalleled in space, its the civilian corporations, of which I think 1 can reach space and another 2 are quite close to reaching space for quick travel across earth....oh, and 0-gee rollercoasters (yay!)

Plus, we have the only planned BASE that will be MANNED and be used as a fuel depo and such for further missions to Mars and others, plus have the only plans for settings up a system of 'stations' from here to mars (you know, such as 1 on the moon, one on L1, L2, L3, etc. I think).

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RE: This is is going to be Awesome

By 9nails on 9/8/2007 11:40:49 PM , Rating: 2

quote:
Who's with me on creating a business in mining the Moon?

Don't F' with my tides! Leave my moon intact! :)

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i do not agree

By omyg0t on 9/7/2007 3:55:59 PM , Rating: 2

the moon belongs to all of us, why divide it?

the real question outa be

what would they do with their slice of it.. ?

RE: i do not agree

By Etsp on 9/7/2007 4:52:07 PM , Rating: 2

I'd probably have someone make me some cheesecake out of it =P

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RE: i do not agree

By Fnoob on 9/7/2007 10:06:03 PM , Rating: 2

Dude, watch out for the spacecake.

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RE: i do not agree

By jconan on 9/8/2007 3:24:52 PM , Rating: 2

if mines were on the moon there definitely will be lots and lots of holes. wonder who china will send up there to mine anyways they have a lot of people to send up there to turn the moon into cheese with numerous mining holes. just wonder who'll enforce mine safety up since china doesn't have msha department and their safety records are easily refuted.

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NEAR LIGHT SPEED PROPULSION

By mthomas on 9/9/07, Rating: 0

By mthomas on 9/9/2007 9:51:00 AM , Rating: 0

" My Linear Particle Accelerator (LINAC) atom smasher concept for electron particle propulsion is a unique proprietary invention developed over the last ten years and takes space propulsion in a direction never thought of by any scientist or organization in history." Michael Thomas

"Do not go where the path may lead," wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson. "Go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail."

One day the Earth will be snuffed out and man had better start looking to space exploration, planetary colonization, and space mining if he wants to survive. Present day rocket propulsion technology cannot meet any of these demands and therefore the future of mankind is already dead. One is now presented to change the final chapter of mankind's Interplanetary and Interstellar travel.

Near Light Speed Space Ship is Man's Future

The future is about to change. Michael Thomas, who says, “He has created a mankind first based on common day physics used by many.” He further states, ”The propulsion application is a first and a patent has been filed. There is no information on the World Wide Web or any other source of publication on this future invention. Even my patent application and patent will not be published at my request.”

This is what is known. Present day Oberth technology used by many can be classified as an antiquated propulsion technology which hits ~ 25,000 miles/hr. max (.00378 % of c, c=186,000 miles/sec) and has a very limited travel distance. Space travelers using Oberth technology would see the time needed to travel to Alpha Centauri our closest neighboring star taking hundreds if not thousands of years.

President Bush says its in America's interest to stay in the forefront of innovation. New ideas like that proposed on this website will help to gaurantee America's leadership in space exploration.

Michael Thomas says, “Even if my propulsion hits 10 % of light speed that is ~ 67,061,662 miles/hr. there is plenty of room to learn and grow towards 99.9 % the speed of light (c=670,616,629.384 mile per hour). This would mean travel to Mars in weeks not years and travel to Alpha Centauri in 5 to 10 years."

Thomas says his, " Linear Accelerator Propulsion (LINAC) using invariant mass electron / microwave beam as propellant. An inexhaustible supply of electrons in space makes the technology capable of continuous 24 x 7 non-stop propulsion operation constantly accelerating at 1 g where NLS would then be possible."

Dr. Steve Schaefer, Ph.D. Princeton University (Physics), "Calculates if X = 4.3 light-years, then T = 3.6 years. Dozens of stars could be reached in five to six years. In fact, a traveler could even go the Andromeda galaxy (2,000,000 light years) in under 29 years (Ship Time in Years) if a constant acceleration could be maintained." Also see Dr. Carlos I. Calle, PhD, NASA senior research scientist, below on page.

Dr. Schaefer calculates, "If the total distance is X, then the total travel time T is given by expression

X / 2 = (c2 / g) [cosh (0.5 g T / c) – 1] T = (2 c / g) cosh–1 (1 + 0.5 g X / c2) "

http://nlspropulsion.net