[Global Issue+] Why China Brings Space Minerals from the Moon and Japan from Asteroids

Helium-3, Essential Fuel for Nuclear Fusion Power, Scattered on the Moon's Surface
Also Abundant Uranium-236 for Nuclear Power Plants and Weapons...Intense Competition Among Countries

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-woo] Following the news that China's lunar probe Chang'e 5 is returning to Earth carrying rock samples collected from the moon's surface, reports have emerged that Japan's probe Hayabusa 2 has sent soil samples collected from an asteroid back to Earth. After the United States and the former Soviet Union, major powers are successively attempting to collect raw materials from space. It is also predicted that from the 2030s, when manned bases are expected to be built on the moon, these powers will compete to collect even more rock samples.

According to Japanese local media such as NHK, on the 6th, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced that the capsule containing asteroid soil samples sent by Japan's asteroid probe Hayabusa 2 landed in the Umehara Restricted Area (WPA) in the deserts of Western Australia. Hayabusa 2 was launched six years ago to explore an asteroid named Ryugu and traveled an astonishing 5.2 billion kilometers. Although the sample sent by Hayabusa 2 this time is only about 40 cm in diameter and a small amount, it is expected to provide valuable data to understand the origin of the Earth and more.

Earlier that day, China's National Space Administration (CNSA) announced that its unmanned lunar probe Chang'e 5 successfully docked with the Earth return vehicle in lunar orbit. Chang'e 5 plans to return to Earth on the 17th carrying about 2 kg of lunar surface rock samples. This is the first time in about half a century since the space race between the United States and the former Soviet Union in the 1970s that lunar surface samples are being brought back to Earth.

The reason why major powers are sending probes to bring raw materials from space despite the enormous budgets involved is known to be the extremely high value of space raw materials. In particular, it is openly discussed in the international space science community that even collecting resources scattered on the lunar surface alone could supply the entire Earth for more than 500 years.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to NASA, the United States brought back about 382 kg of rock and soil samples from the moon during the Apollo project from 1961 to 1972. Analysis of these samples revealed that the lunar surface contains vast energy resources. It is known to have large amounts of helium-3, a key material for nuclear fusion power, as well as nickel, diamonds, and uranium, which is the main power source for nuclear power plants.

In particular, the uranium on the lunar surface is said to remain in the form of uranium-236, which does not require complex refining processes unlike on Earth. It is reported to be usable directly for reactors or nuclear weapons manufacturing. This is presumed to be because the moon has no atmosphere, so asteroids collide directly with the surface without burning up due to frictional heat as they do in Earth's atmosphere, creating large amounts of radioactive elements.

Since then, major powers such as the United States, China, and Russia have been competing to develop small reactors usable on the lunar surface and are striving to build manned bases on the moon. According to the Associated Press, in July this year, the U.S. Department of Energy announced plans to develop small reactors capable of generating electricity using lunar uranium, and to design and manufacture reactors through public-private partnerships with the goal of installing a reactor on the lunar surface by 2026.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

It is also known that ice-form water exists at the lunar south pole, which could enable massive power generation if nuclear power plants are constructed there. However, some raise concerns that these reactors could be used for military purposes. Especially, the announcement by China and Russia that they will jointly build manned bases on the far side and south pole of the moon by 2035 has made the United States very tense. The United States created the Artemis Project, a lunar exploration project with seven allied countries excluding Russia and China, due to concerns that China and Russia might establish military bases on the moon.

The moon’s synchronous rotation means that most of its far side is not observable from Earth. Moreover, the moon’s gravity is only one-sixth that of Earth’s and it has no atmosphere, making it much easier to conduct intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests or nuclear tests there than on Earth. Furthermore, with vast amounts of uranium scattered on the moon, the U.S. views the manned bases of China or Russia as having a high potential to be exploited as military bases.

From this perspective, bringing rock samples from space is likely to become a foundation for future manned base construction and research. It is expected that major powers will send more probes, leading to intense competition over lunar resources.