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Mining for helium: Site selection and evaluationPart of the University of Wisconsin study of the feasibility of recovering He-3 from the moon is selection and evaluation of potential mining sites. Selection and evaluation are based primarily on salient findings by investigators: (1) Regoliths from areas underlain by highland materials contain less than 20 wppm He; (2) Regoliths of certain maria or parts of maria also contain less than 20 wppm He, but mare regoliths at the Apollo 11 and 17 sites contain 25 to 49 wppm He; (3) The helium content of a regolith is a function of its composition; and (4) Helium is concentrated in the -50 micron size fractions of regoliths. In site selection, the concern is with the compositions of lunar regoliths, in particular with their titanium contents. It is widely accepted that compositions of mare regoliths are controlled by the nature of the underlying basalts from which the regoliths are largely derived. The distribution and extent of the three groups of basalts and the regoliths derived from them are the first basis for site selection and evaluation. Other considerations are briefly discussed.
Document ID
19890005479
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Cameron, Eugene N. (Wisconsin Univ. Madison, WI, United States)
Date Acquired
September 5, 2013
Publication Date
September 1, 1988
Publication Information
Publication: NASA, Lewis Research Center, Lunar Helium-3 and Fusion Power
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
89N14850
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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