Latest news with #nuclearfusion
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists edge closer to unleashing virtually unlimited power source — here's when it could finally go live
China's Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak fusion reactor aims to create five times the energy output to revolutionize global energy production. Located in Hefei, China, the "BEST" reactor uses a complex tokamak design. According to Sustainability Times' reporting on May 8, it utilizes a doughnut-shaped vessel that heats plasma to temperatures hotter than on the surface of the sun. It causes hydrogen isotopes to fuse and form helium, which releases massive amounts of energy. Nuclear fusion is preferable to nuclear fission because it creates less radioactive waste. Radioactive waste must be carefully managed and often requires ample storage space. Eliminating the need for waste management streamlines energy production. The process also releases minimal harmful gases into the atmosphere. Burning coal, natural gas, and oil creates dangerous carbon pollution. These heat the planet, destabilizing the climate, upsetting ecosystems, and furthering the spread of diseases. While other fusion projects, such as China's Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak and the United States' Smallest Possible ARC prototype fusion machine, have made strides, the BEST reactor is a major breakthrough. The United States' SPARC reactor only promises to double its energy output; BEST aims to quintuple its output. This high energy output could vastly improve the world's sustainability. With fusion, energy would be near-limitless and thus easily accessible and substantially more affordable. People could enjoy lower utility bills and consistent, reliable energy. The innovative reactor would help slow down climate change and lead to a cleaner, cooler future, while helping people save money and access clean energy. Reducing energy pollution will benefit every human, reducing the health hazards of breathing polluted air or drinking contaminated water. The BEST reactor is slated for delivery by November 2027, and it could be the beginning of an energy revolution. However, there are ways to embrace innovative clean energy solutions now. If you want to lower your utility bills and reduce your home's pollution, you can install solar panels. They could bring the cost of home energy down to or near $0. To get started, use EnergySage's free service that makes it easy to compare quotes from vetted local installers and save up to $10,000 on solar installations. The environmental benefits of fusion combined with the financial savings and high energy output mean China's BEST reactor could change how we think about and use energy. It's an important leap forward in nuclear fusion technology and a step toward a healthier Earth. Should we be harnessing the ocean to power our homes? Absolutely Leave it be It depends I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
Nuclear fusion breakthrough: Germany's reactor sets a new record after running for 43 seconds - taking the world closer towards limitless clean energy
In the core of the sun, a fiery reaction known as nuclear fusion is taking place 24/7. The process involves two light atomic nuclei combining to form a single heavier one while releasing massive amounts of energy. If we can replicate nuclear fusion on Earth for long enough, we may be able to unlock clean, affordable energy for people's homes. Now, scientists in Germany have taken a giant step closer towards making this a reality. Using the Wendelstein 7-X nuclear fusion reactor in the city of Greifswald, they've set a new world record for a crucial metric in fusion physics. The record marks the highest performing sustained fusion experiment that ran longer than 30 seconds – with fusion lasting for an impressive 43 seconds. Wendelstein 7-X is part of a worldwide effort to harness nuclear fusion, which could replace fossil fuels and conventional nuclear fission reactors. The pretzel-shaped machine, which has a diameter of 50 feet and a height of 16ft, uses an extremely low-density and electrically charged hydrogen gas as fuel. The €1.6 billion (£1.3 billion) Wendelstein 7-X device, which began operations in December 2015, was built to 'recreate conditions inside stars'. Officially, it is a 'stellarator' – a type of fusion device that confine hot, charged gas, otherwise known as plasma, that fuels fusion reactions in twisty magnetic fields. Plasmas must meet three conditions for nuclear fusion to occur – reaching sufficient temperature, density and confinement time. Together, these factors comprise what is known as the 'triple product', described as a crucial metric of nuclear fusion physics. A higher triple product indicates greater fusion power and better potential for a successful, self-sustaining fusion reaction. According to the researchers, the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator managed to achieve a new world record for the triple product. On May 22, the final day of its latest research campaign, plasma inside Wendelstein 7-X was raised to over 20 million °C, reaching a peak of 30 million °C. In the record-breaking experiment, the machine sustained a high-performance plasma for 43 seconds. The device is the world's biggest of its kind and is paving the way for operational nuclear fusion technology, which, if successful, would revolutionize electricity production. Nuclear fusion fuses hydrogen nuclei to form helium, which generates energy from a nearly endless supply of hydrogen on the Earth What is the triple product? The triple product - also known as the Lawson criterion - is the key metric for success on the path to a fusion power plant. Only when a certain threshold is exceeded can a plasma produce more fusion power than the heating power invested. This marks the point where the energy balance becomes positive, and the fusion reaction can sustain itself without continued external heating. The triple product is derived from three factors: - the particle density of the plasma - its temperature (more precisely the temperature of the ions between which fusion reactions take place) - energy confinement time - the time it takes for the thermal energy to escape from the plasma if no additional heat is supplied. The new record beats previously set values by the Japanese Tokamak JT60U (decommissioned in 2008) and the European Tokamak facility JET in Britain (decommissioned in 2023). Both of these devices were the more widely-used tokamaks, which are slightly different fusion machines from stellarators. Stellarators have the same doughnut shape as a tokamak but use a complicated system of magnetic coils instead of a current to achieve the same result. Tokamaks are much better studied due to their simpler design compared with stellarators, which are far harder to build, but easier to operate. Novimir Pablant, the division head for stellarator experiments at the US Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), said passing the 30-second mark is a key milestone. If a stellarator can reach this record for 30 seconds, there's no reason these plasma conditions couldn't be sustained for weeks, months or even years because 30 seconds is long enough for the scientists to see the relevant physics at work. 'This experiment ran long enough that nothing is changing any longer in terms of the plasma or experiment conditions,' Pablant said. In the experiments, a key role was played by a new pellet injector, developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. which injects a steady supply of frozen hydrogen pellets into the plasma, enabling long plasma durations through continuous refueling. During the experiment, about 90 frozen hydrogen pellets, each about a millimeter in size, were injected over 43 seconds, while powerful microwaves simultaneously heated the plasma. W7-X demonstrates that stellarators can achieve the outstanding properties predicted by nuclear fusion theory, the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) said in a statement. There are already nuclear power plants around the world, but they use nuclear fission, which has the disadvantage of generating unstable nuclei, some of which are radioactive for millions of years. Fusion, on the other hand, does not create any long-lived radioactive nuclear waste but instead helium, which is an inert gas. Fusion fuel is made up of deuterium and tritium, which are isotopes of hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, giving scientists hopes of 'unlimited energy'. Thomas Klinger, head of operations at Wendelstein 7-X, said the new record is a 'tremendous achievement' by the international team. 'Elevating the triple product to tokamak levels during long plasma pulses marks another important milestone on the way toward a power-plant-capable stellarator,' he said. WHAT IS A STELLARATOR REACTOR AND HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM A TOKAMAK? Stellarators are a type of nuclear fusion reactor and are less widely used than tokamak reactors. Instead of trying to control plasma with just a 2D magnetic field, which is the approach used by the more common tokamak reactors, the stellerator works by generating twisted, 3D magnetic fields. Stellarators confine the hot, charged gas, otherwise known as plasma, that fuels fusion reactions in these twisty magnetic fields. In contrast, tokamaks use a strong electric current to trap plasma inside a doughnut-shaped device long enough for fusion to take place. The tokamak was conceived by Soviet physicists in the 1950s and is considered fairly easy to build, but extremely difficult to operate. The twisty configuration of stellarators enables them to control the plasma with no need for the current that tokamaks must induce in the gas.
Sustainability Times
6 days ago
- Science
- Sustainability Times
Scientists Hit Breakthrough Moment: First-Ever Liquid Carbon Created With Lasers Sparks Fusion Power Revolution
IN A NUTSHELL 🔬 Scientists have successfully created liquid carbon for the first time, marking a significant breakthrough in material science. for the first time, marking a significant breakthrough in material science. 🔥 The creation of liquid carbon, with its high melting point of 8,132°F, could revolutionize nuclear fusion reactors. reactors. ⚡ The process utilized the powerful DiPOLE 100-X laser to liquify carbon briefly, allowing researchers to capture its atomic structure. to liquify carbon briefly, allowing researchers to capture its atomic structure. 📈 This achievement resolves longstanding theoretical disagreements and opens new research possibilities in high-energy physics and materials science. In a groundbreaking achievement, scientists have successfully created liquid carbon for the first time, breaking barriers previously thought insurmountable. This remarkable feat, conducted by a team led by the University of Rostock and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), presents a new frontier in the study of materials under extreme conditions. The ability to observe the structure of liquid carbon experimentally opens up potential applications, particularly in the field of nuclear fusion, where its high melting point and unique properties may prove invaluable. Revolutionizing Nuclear Fusion The creation of liquid carbon is poised to revolutionize the future of nuclear fusion reactors. With an exceptionally high melting point of approximately 8,132°F (4,500°C), liquid carbon presents unique structural properties that make it a crucial component in fusion technology. It could be utilized both as a cooling agent and as a moderator to slow down neutrons, facilitating the chain reactions necessary for sustaining nuclear fusion. The UK's DiPOLE 100-X laser, developed by STFC's Central Laser Facility, played a pivotal role in this breakthrough, enabling research possibilities that were once unimaginable. 'The STFC's laser system has opened new research possibilities,' remarked the researchers, highlighting the potential of this discovery to transform nuclear fusion technology. The unique properties of liquid carbon could address some of the most significant challenges faced by fusion reactors today, paving the way for more efficient and sustainable energy solutions. This breakthrough not only advances our understanding of carbon but also marks a significant step towards achieving practical nuclear fusion. 'Ukraine to Restart Nuclear Power in Chernobyl': This Shocking Mini-Reactor Plan Sends Global Shockwaves Through Energy and Safety Circles Harnessing Extreme Conditions with High-Performance Lasers The process of creating liquid carbon required the use of the high-performance DiPOLE 100-X laser to generate extreme conditions. By liquifying solid carbon samples for mere billionths of a second, scientists were able to capture diffraction patterns using X-ray beams, revealing the atomic arrangement within the fleeting liquid carbon. This complex procedure was repeated multiple times, with slight variations in parameters, to construct a comprehensive picture of carbon's transition from its solid to liquid phase. Under normal conditions, carbon does not melt; instead, it transitions directly to a gaseous state. However, under extreme pressure and temperatures of approximately 8,132°F (4,500°C), it achieves a liquid state. The primary challenge was to take precise measurements within these brief moments, a feat accomplished using laser compression to create the conditions necessary for this liquid state. This innovative approach has expanded our understanding of carbon's properties under extreme conditions, offering insights that were previously unattainable. 'Even the U.S. Is Stunned': Japan's 100-Year Nuclear Battery Threatens to Blow Solar Power Off the Global Energy Map Overcoming Challenges and Paving the Way for Future Discoveries Overcoming the challenges of studying extreme states of matter like liquid carbon has been made possible at the European XFEL with the D100-X system. This system was specifically designed to study such conditions and has produced significant insights. The research team discovered that the systemics of liquid carbon resemble those of solid diamond, with four nearest neighbors, revealing new information about carbon's atomic structure. This achievement has resolved longstanding disagreements among theoretical predictions about carbon's melting point. The ability to precisely determine this point advances our understanding of carbon and its potential applications, particularly in nuclear fusion. The findings, published in the journal Nature , suggest that future results requiring extensive experiment time could be obtained in seconds once the complex automatic control and data processing systems are optimized, further accelerating advancements in this field. 'China's Nuclear Sites Could Be Attacked': These Future War Threats from the PLA Spark Global Fear and Urgency The Path Ahead: Liquid Carbon's Potential The implications of this research extend beyond immediate applications in nuclear fusion. Liquid carbon's unique properties may inspire new technologies and materials, influencing various scientific and industrial fields. As researchers continue to explore the potential of this extraordinary material, the possibilities for innovation and discovery seem boundless. The current achievements lay the groundwork for further exploration into the behavior of materials under extreme conditions, potentially leading to breakthroughs in energy, technology, and materials science. As we continue to push the boundaries of what is known, the question remains: What other revolutionary discoveries await us in the realm of high-energy physics and materials science? Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article. Did you like it? 4.5/5 (30)
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nuclear Fusion Market Trends, Opportunities and Strategies to 2034 Featuring Analysis of General Fusion, Kyoto Fusioneering, TAE Technologies, Zap Energy, Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) and More
Strategic Partnerships Driving Innovation. Next-Generation Stellarator Fusion Technology Backed by Initial Funding. Nuclear Fusion Market Dublin, May 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Nuclear Fusion Market Opportunities and Strategies to 2034" report has been added to report describes and explains the nuclear fusion market and covers 2030-2034F termed the forecast period. The report evaluates the market across each region and for the major economies within each region. The global nuclear fusion market is expected to grow from $178.02 billion in 2030 to $229.03 billion in 2034 at a rate of 6.50%.Going forward, increased government funding for nuclear energy, increasing adoption of renewable energy, rising urbanization and rapid industrialization will drive the growth. Factor that could hinder the growth of the nuclear fusion market in the future include negative impact of economic instabilities. The fastest-growing regions in the nuclear fusion market will be Asia Pacific and Western Europe where growth will be at CAGRs of 14.68% and 9.16% respectively. These will be followed by North America where the markets are expected to grow at CAGR of 2.47%.The nuclear fusion market is segmented by technology into inertial confinement, magnetic confinement and other technologies. The magnetic confinement segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the nuclear fusion market segmented by technology, at a CAGR of 6.60% during nuclear fusion market is segmented by fuel into deuterium, deuterium/tritium, deuterium, helium-3, proton-boron and other fuels. The deuterium/tritium segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the nuclear fusion market segmented by fuel, at a CAGR of 7.33% during strategies for the nuclear fusion market include focusing on a digital twin revolution in nuclear fusion energy safety, forming partnerships to develop new products and focusing on next-generation stellarator fusion technology backed by initial strategies in the nuclear fusion market include focus on expanding operational capabilities through securing new contracts, focus on enhancing business capabilities through new developments and focus on enhancing business operations through strategic collaborations and take advantage of the opportunities, the analyst recommends the nuclear fusion companies to focus on digital twin technology to accelerate fusion energy development, focus on next-generation stellarator fusion technology, focus on magnetic confinement technology, focus on deuterium/tritium market growth, expand in emerging markets, focus on expanding distribution channels for market growth, focus on developing competitive and flexible pricing strategies, focus on targeted promotion to increase awareness and adoption, focus on building strategic partnerships for effective promotion and focus on targeting end-users across key Market Trends Digital Twin Revolution in Nuclear Fusion Energy Safety and Efficiency Strategic Partnerships Driving Innovation in Nuclear Fusion Energy Next-Generation Stellarator Fusion Technology Backed by Initial Funding Markets Covered:1) by Technology: Inertial Confinement; Magnetic Confinement; Other Technologies2) by Fuel: Deuterium; Deuterium/Tritium; Deuterium, Helium-3; Proton-Boron; Other FuelsKey Companies Profiled: General Fusion Inc; Kyoto Fusioneering Ltd; TAE Technologies Inc; Zap Energy Inc; Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS)Countries: China; Australia; India; Indonesia; Japan; South Korea; USA; Canada; Brazil; France; Germany; UK; Italy; Spain; RussiaRegions: Asia-Pacific; Western Europe; Eastern Europe; North America; South America; Middle East; Series: Five years historic and ten years Ratios of market size and growth to related markets; GDP proportions; expenditure per capita; nuclear fusion indicators Attributes Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 198 Forecast Period 2030-2034 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2030 $178.02 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2034 $229.03 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 6.5% Regions Covered Global The companies featured in this Nuclear Fusion market report include: General Fusion Inc Kyoto Fusioneering Ltd TAE Technologies Inc Zap Energy Inc Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) Helion Energy First Light Fusion Tokamak Energy ENN Energy Holdings Limited SHINE Technologies HB11 Energy Kyoto Fusioneering Ltd Chongyi ZhangYuan Tungsten Co., Ltd. Guangdong Xianglu Tungsten Co., LTD National Institute for Fusion Science Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. China National Nuclear Corporation Helical Fusion Co., Ltd Alpha Ring Proxima Fusion First Light Fusion TAE Technologies Tokamak Energy Marvel Fusion Betek GmbH & Co. KG Culham Centre for Fusion Energy ITER Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) LPPFusion IDOM Nuclearelectrica S.A. Lockheed Martin Corporation Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory AtkinsRealis Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) General Fusion Fusion Nova Zap Energy Tri Alpha Energy Helion Energy Fusion Engineering Corporation Industrias Nucleares do Brasil (INB) INVAP S.E Nucleoelectrica Argentina S.A. (NASA) Eletrobras Sistemas Electronicos Avanzados S.A. (SEA) Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) Saudi Aramco NT-Tao Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Nawah Energy Company Steenkampskraal Thorium Limited (STL Nuclear) Stratek Global (Pty) Ltd Sibanye-Stillwater For more information about this report visit About is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Nuclear Fusion Market CONTACT: CONTACT: Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@ For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900Sign in to access your portfolio
Fast Company
09-05-2025
- Science
- Fast Company
This Seattle startup is planning to mine on the moon. It could bring nuclear fusion closer to reality
Humans have long been transfixed by the moon, awed and inspired by its reassuring presence in the night sky and its influence on the tides. In recent decades, though, our fascination with our nearest celestial neighbor has become somewhat more opportunistic: The moon contains valuable resources, and governments and companies are eager to get their hands on them. One such resource is helium-3 (He-3), a gas that some experts say could unlock clean and abundant energy on Earth as a fuel for fusion. It's this gas that Interlune, a Seattle-based startup, has its sights on. The company wants to be the first to commercialize space resources, starting with He-3, which it plans to begin harvesting from the moon and selling on Earth by the end of the decade. Helium-3 is used mostly in medical diagnostics and national security, but it has great potential to unlock groundbreaking technological advancements, the most tantalizing of which is nuclear fusion. Fusion is what powers the stars, and as the climate crisis deepens, scientists are desperately trying to harness it in reactors to produce abundant energy without the use of fossil fuels. He-3 is a desirable fuel for fusion reactors because it would produce very little dangerous radioactive waste. 'Helium-3 fusion reactors open up the opportunity to have power available for people on Earth in a way that's never been available before,' says Aaron Olson, a research physicist at NASA's Kennedy Space Center who has studied helium-3 extraction. 'And that's not only for those of us who happen to live in areas where we have grids that function really well, but it could bring energy to people who live in areas like sub-Saharan Africa, where 90% of the population doesn't have access to electricity.' The problem is that He-3 is extremely rare on Earth, and therefore very expensive. A kilogram of the stuff will set you back roughly $20 million. Most of the terrestrial supply comes from the decay of tritium, which is a byproduct of nuclear reactors and aging nuclear weapons. The United States has been rationing He-3 since 2010. By contrast, the moon holds an abundance of He-3. The isotope is emitted from the sun's corona and carried through the solar wind, and because the moon isn't protected by an atmosphere or magnetic field, these particles have been embedding themselves in the lunar soil—or regolith—for billions of years. Recent estimates suggest the moon has about 1.1 million metric tons of He-3, compared to Earth's reserves of just 1.6 tons. 'Helium-3 is the only resource worth going all the way to the moon and back for,' Interlune's director of business development, Nina Hooper, explained. 'Now it's up to us to go develop the technology that's going to help us extract it.' Interlune's plan is to send its ' harvesters ' to an area that's about a mile wide and located near the moon's equator on its near side, or the side that's always visible to Earth. These unmanned machines will dig into the top three meters of lunar regolith, crush the rocks, extract the He-3 gas, and then put the regolith back where it belongs. 'When we're done, it looks like a tilled field,' says Interlune CEO and cofounder Rob Meyerson, who previously served as president of Blue Origin. Interlune is aiming to start with two test missions, one in 2027 and another in 2029, to measure He-3 levels on the moon, harvest it on a small scale, and bring some back to Earth. It wants to go to market with 20 kilograms of He-3 in 2030, ramping up to 100 kilograms over five years. 'That will do a great job to stabilize the supply chain,' Meyerson adds. Could it also unlock the future of clean energy? Despite promising advances in fusion science, commercial fusion is still a ways off. 'There is still a lot of work to be done before a functional reactor goes online,' says NASA's Olson. 'There are still questions that persist as to how quickly that can happen.' An abundance of He-3 for fusion research could, however, help speed up that process. In the meantime, Interlune has another sector in mind for its first target market: quantum computing. This market is projected to balloon between now and 2030, with big tech players like IBM, Nvidia, and Apple pouring billions into quantum tech research and development with the hopes of creating breakthrough innovations and rapidly solving stubborn problems across science, medicine, and other fields. Helium-3 helps keep these supercomputers cool enough to function efficiently, and Meyerson says Interlune has already secured contracts with 'more than one' company and letters of intent for 'more than a billion dollars' worth of He-3 even before it has demonstrated its technology. 'These customers are relatively price insensitive, so they're willing to pay something near the current market price, and they're really, really eager to secure supply,' he says. This week, Interlune announced Maybell Quantum, a quantum infrastructure company, as its first commercial customer. Maybell agreed to buy 'thousands of liters' of He-3 to be delivered between 2029 and 2035. The U.S. Department of Energy has also agreed to buy He-3 from Interlune in its quest to top up its reserves. Not everyone is eager to see the moon become an industrial hub, though. Astronomers are particularly worried about mining because the moon is an important outpost for space science thanks to how quiet, still, and cold it is. For example, the far-side of the moon is 'the most radio quiet part of the inner solar system,' explains Richard Green, an astronomer emeritus at the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory and a vocal advocate for preserving lunar science. That makes it the best place to use radio astronomy to learn about the universe and look for signs of life beyond Earth. 'If the mining equipment is next door and blasting rocks and digging things up, that would just be inconsistent with the stable platform that those really sensitive detections need,' Green adds. He and other researchers want to see the creation of an international system that evaluates claims to certain regions on the moon and allows scientists to 'reserve' sites in advance so they can study the area before any mining takes place. 'It's not that there's anything wrong with mining, it's a legitimate activity,' he says. 'But so is science. How do we set up a system of communication and coordination that doesn't lead to conflict?' The existing rules around space mining are fairly new, and don't offer much help. A 2015 U.S. law ruled that private American companies can own any space resources they mine. In 2020, NASA's Artemis Accords sought to introduce some guidelines on the practice of harvesting space resources, stating that any extraction must be done in compliance with the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. That means countries carrying out mining would have to do so for the benefit of all mankind. They'd have to avoid 'harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies,' and would be liable for any damage they cause. All of that said, regulations might be hard to enforce. 'There are no police that are going to land on the moon,' says Green. (Neither China nor Russia have signed onto the Artemis Accords, which aren't legally binding anyway.) Meyerson is quick to underscore that what Interlune wants to do isn't traditional mining. 'There are no chemicals used to strip the helium-3 out of the material,' he says. 'You're not leaving contaminated tailings behind. So as far as comparing this to mining, it's just 180 degrees apart.' He believes that by being the first to harvest moon resources, Interlune can set the standard as the lunar gold rush accelerates. Eventually, Interlune plans to expand its scope to harvest other lunar resources that could be used to build infrastructure and produce rocket fuel on the moon, all of which could serve as a stepping stone for future space exploration. 'We're in this for the long run of building an in-space economy,' says Meyerson. 'We would be processing other resources on the moon, like water that we can turn into rocket fuel, metals like aluminum and titanium and silicon, and then construction material.' Some proponents of space mining also argue it's an environmental Hail Mary. 'There is the notion of the Earth becoming an oasis,' says Olson. 'It's an idea that harvesting resources, whether it be the moon or other places in space, could help us preserve the Earth for future generations in a way where maybe we're not doing as much damaging extractive work on Earth, and some of that could be put in places that are, for lack of a better term, barren.'
