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Time to think about industrial development of the moon : Russian space company RKK Energia

Earth’s companion is extraordinarily rich in rare and precious natural resources. For example, various estimates put the already mentioned helium-3 at anywhere between one ton and five hundred tons. And although the technology for its use on Earth is still in the development stage, it is not too early to start considering the project for its mining. Development of the industrial nuclear fusion reactor is estimated to take about thirty years – and that is just enough time to set up the helium-3 mining operation
Russia is working on a space transport system that could eventually lead to the industrialization of the moon, a space expert said.

Thirty-eight years after the United States put the first man on the moon, Russia could reach it using Soyuz rockets, the head of the Russian space company RKK Energia, Nikolai Sevastianov, told the Vedomosti daily.

"It is time to think about industrial development of the moon. We are sometimes criticized for making such suggestions too early," Sevastianov was quoted as saying in an interview released on Wednesday.

"But it is time to do this given the limits to natural reserves on Earth and the pace of civilization's progress. Nor can we dismiss the idea of outsourcing harmful industries into space."

Sevastianov said Energia was working on a new space transport system called Kliper/Parom.

"We can start flying to the moon using the Soyuz ships and those technologies that we already have. As for industrial development, that will be with the new technologies that the Kliper system will give us."

On Monday an executive from the Space Adventures travel agency, who in cooperation with Russia has arranged five tourist space flights, said a trip around the moon was within reach and the next step would be landing adventurers on the moon itself

In images:
1. Photograph by Vladimir Novikov:According to Nikolai Sevastiyanov (shown in the photo), the future Clipper spacecraft will allow establishing a permanent transportation link between a space station in an orbit around Earth and a space station in an orbit around the Moon
2.This chart shows RSC Energia’s vision of missions to the Moon
3.Photograph by Valentin Kuzmin (ITAR-TASS)
4.Photograph by Grigori Sysoev (ITAR-TASS)
5.Collage by RSC Energia

Media contact:
P.Korolev RSC Energia
E-mail:mail@rsce.ru

Release link: http://www.energia.ru/english/