The Real Reason Countries Are Going Back To The Moon

Countries like China, the US, and Russia are setting their sights on the Moon. But is it purely for the advancement of mankind, or is there profit to be found? Mining for Helium-3, metals and rare-earths on the Moon might be closer than we expect. Astrum merch now available! Apparel: teespring.com/... Metal Posters: displate.com/p...
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Music Credit: Anima - The Waning Moon
Cell's Tranck - Hanging Masses
ultimae.bandca...

[@fuhkoffandie]

"He who controls the spice, controls the universe."

[@tyronemiller1733]

The bear can't fly, Dragon vs. Eagle.

[@callsign_Elysium]

@@tyronemiller1733 :/

[@jamielamarche2276]

what a great series...

[@bfreeman8786]

See the trailer for new Dune? Looks good. I wanted to make the new version myself! I'm actually excited for a new movie!

[@steelrad6363]

Yes. Curry is wonderful.

[@DogsaladSalad]

im glad this one isnt a tiny 1 minute video, im pretty tired of everyone just publishing shorts

[@semaj_5022]

Idk if Alex keeps his regular upload schedule and sprinkles in some short videos in between I'd be happy with the extra content.

[@gipugly]

@@semaj_5022 same

[@semaj_5022]

@@ethanbennett7 Oh damn, I missed that :/ I'd have voted to keep em as well. I enjoy both types of vids for very different reasons.

[@adarsh4764]

0:17 What's that white dot moving upwards in the middle.

[@semaj_5022]

@@adarsh4764 likely an orbiter or some debris

[@kevinjonesmusic]

Finally a video that touches on the true reason for spending billions on space travel. Mars probably offer as much or more precious metals for the rich to get richer. AND once some of us “volunteer” to go to these planets we should understand that it is a one way trip for some that will only be there to work.

[@larryd2684]

life must expand and we are the taxi drivers.

[@sabinj6031]

Life is work.

[@tobyglyn]

Very interesting and you actually mentioned that there might be serious pollution associated with "green" technologies which is something that is somehow ignored by most.

[@7DaltonDoms7]

He pretended like polluting in space would fine tho lol anything you discard in space turns into a superfast missile

[@al007italia]

Exploration was usually motivated as much by making money as discovery, at times even more so. I've no doubt we will see development of mining, and other space industries as time goes on.

[@jbkhan1135]

Wasn't that what the backstory of the movie "Alien" was about?

[@al007italia]

@@jbkhan1135 Among several other SciFi movies.

[@tapuout101]

With resources a spaceship will be able to build factories ect. We would kind be like building a new Earth.

[@themightypen1530]

This is absurd. Everyone knows the Moon is made of cheese.

[@chrisklugh]

That's classified information. *Knock Knock Knock*

[@5mnz7fg]

So it is. Who ever will own the Moon will rule Earth' cheese market.

[@roshanbhatta]

Who denied?!

[@K1lostream]

No, if the moon was made from cheese, the heat from the sun would have melted it back into milk.

[@5mnz7fg]

@@K1lostream Exactly! That's why the Moon appears white. If it gets dark again the moon milk coagulates again to green cheese but this is invisible because it's dark.

[@ubermenschen3636]

@3:59, you forgot gold, platinum, palladium, tungsten, and Uranium.

[@bradbradford8576]

Someone run a simulation to see how long it would take to mine enough material from the moon and move it to Earth to begin causing gravitational problems

[@RandyDiver1]

Hi Brad. Each day the Moon gets 7.4 tons of Cosmic Dust. The most notable effect of Moon gravitational pull is in the rise and fall of our ocean tides. Even with 7.4 tons being added to the Moon per day the tidal flow is stable. So one could rationalize that removing 7.4 tons of material from the moon per day would have no measurable effect on Earth. We would have to speculate how much we would have to mine and remove from the moon to change Earth’s tidal flow. The moon is approximately 9e+18 tons. The valuable portion of the Moon we know of is the surface layer of cosmic dust called regolith. Regolith varies from 5 meters to 10 meters deep. The moon surface is 37.9 million sq kilometers. Regolith is 5g/cubic cm. Or 1 square kilometer of Regolith 5 meters deep is 7.5 trillion kg. So if you mined 1 sq km of the moon’s regolith per day it would take you 37.9 million days to mine the whole surface of the Moon. God is awesome it would take more than human kind to mine enough regolith from the moon to change the flow. I believe we are safe from disrupting the Earth Lunar gravitational balance. Thanks for asking it was a very interesting question. Sincerely Randy.

[@bradbradford8576]

@@RandyDiver1 thanks for your reply! I was thinking more of Earth's orbital wobble caused by the moon and how that might affect our orbit, say, 100 rotations in the future, 1000 rotations in the future, etc. Not just the tide

[@redrock425]

@@bradbradford8576 I thought Earth had a wobble and the moon damped it rather than causing it?

[@patricksanders858]

Ore mined in space need to stay in space. Develop Heavy Industries in space.

[@patrickleigh1523]

The key is to add as much weight going in to the moon as you're pulling out. I suggest shipping depleted uranium, most politicians (although with the unavoidable hot air that comes with, I don't know if this one pencils out unless you limit it to the severely overweight ones), and cans of Spam that are past their "best by" date.

[@Mirandorl]

"To boldly synergise product lines where no man has identified aggressive market opportunities before" doesn't have quite the same ring.

[@friendlyone2706]

But is more economically sustainable.

[@charlesshreeve319]

Plus it has WAY too many syllables! Damned corporate hacks!

[@randomperson1418]

The only thing better than a good day is a good day with a new long astrum video

[@DingoAteMeBaby]

"long"

[@mikehawk2610]

@@DingoAteMeBaby to be fair 8 minutes of attention is about as much as you can ask for from the younger generations

[@followthegrow108]

I wouldnt consider 8 min to be long.

[@followthegrow108]

@@mikehawk2610 no its not.

[@adarsh4764]

0:17 What's that white dot moving upwards in the middle.

[@tach5884]

1:40 That is the most Kerbal thing I've seen all week.

[@ovrsurge4689]

Actually the ksp reddit community spent a while copying missile launch systems like that for fun. But it does look totally scuffed. I think they were copying the brahmos missile systems.

[@monkey_gamer_001]

it's an ICBM, i think

[@dennispeterson6598]

The trouble with mining the moon for He3 is that if you can get net power from He3 fusion, you can also get it from the easier deuterium fusion, and the waste product of deuterium fusion is half He3, half tritium. You can just use both and then your only input is deuterium, which is absurdly abundant on Earth. Fusion startup Helion Energy is attempting a hybrid deuterium/he3 reactor, saying the combined reaction would produce only 6% of its energy as neutron radiation.

[@AstrumBrasil]

The best video explanation I've ever seen on this topic. Thanks Alex, amazing work.😍

[@adarsh4764]

0:17 What's that white dot moving upwards in the middle.

[@AstrumBrasil]

@Antonio Salas Martinez Oi meu amigo Tony....que bom te ver aqui também. Saludos querido amigo :) ^^

[@AstrumBrasil]

@@adarsh4764 Possibly a piece of debris from the lunar module ... these small objects, when reflected by the sun, tend to look like something bigger. But I didn't find any explanation by NASA: /

[@andy_liga]

Moon, it's a movie from 2009 about moon mining for He-3, it also dives into the ethicality and politics of moon mining. [Edit] spoiler in the comments

[@dr.jamesolack8504]

And the ethics of using human clones....and discarding after they break down.

[@iamdmc]

also of making clones to forever man the mines

[@andy_liga]

@@dr.jamesolack8504 was trying not to spoil here but there you go :P

[@TimStCroix]

@@andy_liga Maybe you should edit your top comment warning about spoilers in the replies.

[@jorgepeterbarton]

Ethics of unsettling creepy AI only a film director could come up with to freak people out

[@demmyonline]

This poses an interesting question. Rockets to the moon will probably have large payloads to support the inhabitants, so rather than return empty they could load them up with lunar minerals. The backloading should be relatively inexpensive, but who knows. We have a similar puzzle where I live. Several freight trains arrive daily with provisions from down south. On their return journey, almost every container is empty. We have abundant water where we live, but the trains pass through areas that have been affected by drought for years. Why not have one container on each train carry empty bladders, place one in each container when they're emptied and fill them up before leaving? The precious water could then be distributed where it's most needed.

[@omega2469]

Great Idea,,, I like it,,, But there could be some negative implication on some politicians or businesses the reason why is not being implemented,,, but it mkes complete sense.

[@BANGGANGRACING]

I have no idea why you don't have more replies on this this is the most genius thing I've heard almost my entire life there would of course be some negative effects of this unless you were catching water that was pouring into the oceans which are Is being affected by the freshwater and ocean level rising it would probably also help with Glacial melt

[@MandoMTL]

"The precious water". You answered your own question.

[@igormac9431]

Bcs that water would be miniscule compared to what's needed. The extra fuel required to carry it via train is ply more money than to build a pipeline or a canal and have a constant flow straight to the affected areas.

[@josephmagana6235]

It's not so simple with rockets to just say that they return "empty", like a ship on the ocean. Until we have the capability to make fuel on the moon, they have to bring all of their fuel with them from earth, including the fuel necessary to take their return payload off the moon. Which means a rocket designed to leave the moon full of rocks is going to be much more massive and difficult to build.

[@kingmasterlord]

when we mine the regolith we need to draw a pattern and I recommend hexagons across the entire surface so that we can then use it for gaming

[@raybin6873]

That will keep future aliens seeing it totally baffled for a thousand years trying to figure out what it means!😄

[@fuffoon]

Like crop circles on the moon!

[@brendanike800]

There's genius. There's super genius. There's Brainiac 5 genius. And there's this comment.

[@eddie10191]

So guessing they're going to screw up the galaxy.

[@hamankoo]

Cake

[@desert-stormvet88]

The movie "Moon" deals with H3 mining on the moon. It stars Sam Rockwell. Its a decent movie, I recommend it.

[@Tartersauce101]

I'm a big movie buff. There are movies I've recommended many times, and friends/family never watch em. But not Moon. For some fucking reason every person I mentioned it to ended up watching it. 100% positive feedback lol.

[@onlyonewhyphy]

I loved that movie. Sleeper hit

[@Gaiaempower]

It's a great movie

[@Tobiasz931]

Great movie indeed!

[@jennifermoody6987]

That movie was unbelievably underrated.. totally awesome film and I'd definitely recommend it as well

[@Narmatonia]

Let's just hope the immense difficulty in space mining will give regulations enough time to prevent irresponsible practices by mining companies

[@friendlyone2706]

Reality is a great teacher. Those irresponsible in space die. There is only so much time and energy. You can spend it reading and writing regulations, or you can spend it watching and writing about the real world. I can ride a rocket into space built to regulations, or owned by a man who will personally lose everything if it fails.

[@pedrolmlkzk]

Dont be hopeful

[@WhiteSilverknight]

There already does exist a space law.

[@franciscoshi1968]

Safety wise won't be much different than ships with the added benefit that the people in the ship won't go if it is dodgy. As for pollution as long as it is not in orbit they can pollute to their hearts content. The more the merrier. Toxic waste no problem. Radioactive waste no problem. The question is will it be economic to ship back to earth.

[@franciscoshi1968]

@m_train Gaming I think pirates will not be very likely. It is very hard to hide in space. If you are on the moon and a ship is coming and you know it is unfriendly one shot from a 50cal gun would end it and there is nothing they could do to avoid it. They couldn't dodge it. Not enough fuel. The mining base on the other hand would have the advantage. Even if you managed to hijack a ship all you have to do is wait for them at the destination. Once a ship is on its way you don't have enough fuel to go anywhere other than the prearranged destination.

[@ArtII2Long]

When more energy needed on the moon, you could have one or two portable solar powered 'kits' you send to a likely mining area. You start building the HE3 nuclear plant and support infrastructure while starting mining of needed materials. Once that site becomes established, you move on to the next site.

[@burtblahnik6074]

The moon is so close by compared to Mars that it makes perfectly good sense to set up a moon base and mining and developing hydrogen power etc.

[@Xcyper33]

Not to mention observatories and missions further out in the solar system would be perfect on the moon.

[@redwolf4611]

Also pretty important to the planet. Kind of keeps us from toppling end over end.

[@christopher2206]

I believe we should put all manufacturing and industrial processes in space. We could just send all the finished products to earth. I dont like technology, but if we are going to stuck with it we should do it differently.

[@nixodus2870]

Not to mention you are all 🐑:)))

[@Kavriel]

I think it's very important to note that rare-earths are not used in batteries. This is obsolete information. They can be used in some electric cars, for various reasons but they are not a component of batteries from what i've researched.

[@astrumspace]

I may have not explained my thinking so well in the video, I'm probably jumping the gun here. I think research is being done to "dope" lithium-ion batteries with rare-earths to achieve an improved electrochemical performance, but you are right, it isn't currently the norm. But I believe that if the performance gains are enough, and companies start using rare earths in batteries, then that will increase demand. And yes, you are right, rare earths are being used in other parts of the EV too.

[@MrTimT001]

Yes, I think rare earths are sometimes used in the magnets for electic motors (Neodymium), but their required mass is much lower than in battery packs

[@123TeeMee]

Cobalt is an issue with batteries I think

[@larryd2684]

Matches?

[@stagdragon3978]

my inner satisfactory side of me is pleased with the idea of using all byproducts from the separation of materials.

[@jutsie]

Great vid. I feel like the eco political side of space is not often covered. This was enligtening. Thank you.

[@melissasalasblair5273]

🎯 policy to implementation to....everything

[@Ananias03]

I thought the moon agreement of 1967 (specifically the 1979 ratification) didn't allow any single country to mine any resources on the moon for themselves.

[@davidvaughn7752]

HI Astrum! I loved this video. Yes, we have the opportunity to colonize space, extract minerals and explore. You make the point succinctly for humankind benefitting from our endeavours by getting raw materials and using them to benefit us in many ways. You cover all the bases and I really like all the new things I learn in all your vids! Take care!

[@tyreza79]

False satanic promise and complete desolation... Only a mental control agenda... And make the! Forger their return to god and hell and bliss reality... Basicky you said , yes we have the opportunity... Already how did you suppose you belong to this ",we" for good or for evil or any aimless purpose... They will always find ways to keep minds magnetized to their hidden sorcery circles and seals... Beside that I assure u this I mean they do will be destroyed and their brain will be fried... The hour is approaching... Spacetime is controlled... Nothing ever went out of hands... Beside we are already in space and it is rare to be in a place in this whole space where light and darkness mingle and rare to find a place in space where everything can be observed and experienced... Other than this earth..

[@snotsbuttwax]

@@tyreza79 I'm sorry, what?

[@tyreza79]

@@snotsbuttwax you are it... You're deep in it... What else?

[@snotsbuttwax]

@@tyreza79 it's just incomprehensible. Try speaking a little more clearly.

[@tyreza79]

@@snotsbuttwax it's hard indeed... A world only perceivable for us is seen to demons... In it our interactions happen... Mental emotions energies etc etc. A pyramid of control is constructed. But in this world society laws and forces ideas and doctrines and sorcery magic and channelers etc and Feng shui knowledge and construction are build on dragon energy leylines etc all is are used to keep people mesmerized by the power of will of the eye of the pyramid, the relation between the seer and the seen the subject and the objet... The living organism and being and the event being lived etc or call it the dream of life... All is in this pyramid. And this tool this internet and android is a magical tool hidden as harmless tech wired to everything humans do, social economical cultural etc all is wired here. You are wired here. You participated to the vortex you don't even own. It's not your will you are forced to be this way forgetting what you really are... Just to take part ... As a result of that the real world is being empty and human civilization is being corroded . All is being lost.. humans are being consumed and giving their all for the eye 👁️ of the pyramid to keep having a connection between the dark world of Satan himself so that he can see his realm become reality in our dimension. And Satan wants only our destruction for eternity... I didn't say everything... A vision can't be transmitted to someone else by words... And there are endless demons preventing you from even verifying by clairvoyance about what I just said... Only if you have a sword of light of monotheism, then you can slash through your wayout. And the word is " la illaha illa allah"

[@neilmackenzie4394]

The Moon is the best possible place to set up an international Asteroid Detection and Defense facility. It has excellent clear views of space and could detect incoming threatening objects at a much greater distance than we can presently do from Earth. Also, any method to deflect or alter the trajectory of a threatening object could be launched much easier from the Moon's low gravity, than from Earth. The A.D.D. could be something to foster cooperation rather than competition between the nations of Earth as it would be in humanity's best interest.

[@loriomyoreo8224]

I found you! I love Astrum! I learn so much from you...quite pleasantly presented! Thank you!

[@dokskwyr4353]

Not just worthwhile but essential.

[@LawofMoses]

Canada has announced that they will now be mining rare earth minerals as well and we will also be processing them.

[@manatoa1]

Excellent news! Thanks for sharing that.

[@paparoysworkshop]

I did not know that. Thanks for the info. I will do some research on it to learn more. Time to lessen our dependence on China.

[@Magneticlaw]

And they'll do it very politely, eh?

[@bfreeman8786]

Much rather buy from Canadia, eh.

[@feedbackfred8915]

@@paparoysworkshop hummmmm a lot of mining company in Canada are actualy chinesse ..

[@adriengriffon]

A self-sufficient lunar base, able to make its own resources AND able to make parts for space vehicles would make exploring the outer solar system in a lot more detail more viable. Without having to get through Earth's gravity, we wouldn't be limited as much by the cost of getting the vehicle off the ground.

[@friendlyone2706]

Plus would probably be enough gravity to counter effects of zero-G on health. Space stations would rotate from the moon, not earth.

[@justinejacks0n]

Iron ore mined on the moon could produce steel for manufacturing including Musk's boring machine needed on Mars - more feasible than lifting sections into Space from Earth.

[@RB-fp8hn]

I have spent so many nights staring up at the sky while listening to Hanging Masses by Cell. Great to see it being used here :)

[@loturzelrestaurant]

Hi. RB? May i be so random and recommend you some good science-youtuber just... just because? I mean, why not? The learning never ends, duh?

[@phillefever1934]

This is just like the films in the 50’s that said we’d all be traveling in flying cars by now.

[@wytho3751]

...and it's even crazier than that.

[@IAmTjay116]

We call these "airplanes"

[@Easy-Eight]

@@IAmTjay116 we were supposed to be in "bubble saucer cars", like the cartoon *The Jetsons.* Instead we've got the 10th or so version of a 60s Ford Mustang that goes for the price of a house. The future has been mundane and *woke.* It's a big disappointment.

[@IAmTjay116]

@@Easy-Eight then hold on to ur fedoras cuz I think we're in for a wild ride next few decades....

[@samuelallen1402]

there was good reason they predicted those then, the science was there, but then they kept anti-gravity for themselves

[@periurban]

A self sufficient industrial centre on the Moon would allow us to build the deep space ships which will take us to the nearest stars. Sure, it'll take hundreds of years to get there, but the sooner we start the better.

[@petartrifonov8823]

You are my favourite content producer, keep on rising!

[@harmsc12]

I think the primary benefit of lunar mining is being able to build bigger, better space stations without the costs associated with Earth-based launches. The lower gravity means it would be much cheaper to get structures into orbit around Earth by using the Moon as your point of origin.

[@ninehundreddollarluxuryyac5958]

I think the most viable mine site in space is the geostationary graveyard orbit. There is plenty of stuff there, already lifted out of Earth's gravity well. What you find there is refined metals, not raw ore that needs to be processed into metal.

[@NeedForMadnessSVK]

Telescopes on moon would be awesome, as there is no atmosphere to distort the image. We could also build "radiotelescope array" with some telescopes being on Earth and some being on Mars, which would give scientists incredible resolution.

[@friendlyone2706]

Plus radio telescopes on the Moon's far side. During the lunar night, the sun's radio emissions blocked, think what we could learn!

[@sumreensultana1860]

@@friendlyone2706 and most of earth's too

[@friendlyone2706]

@@sumreensultana1860 Which would make the next "wow" signal a more compelling bit of evidence for something...

[@DayDayind]

I really enjoy your pleasant way of narrating. Don't change :)

[@JohnDavidDunlap]

One aspect of mining asteroids, the moon, or even mars which isn't often discussed is that it is easier to get their raw materials into space. If, for example, you wanted to build a 2km diameter spinning space station with artificial gravity, it will likely be cheaper to get those materials from the moon or Mars because of the costs associated with getting those same materials out of Earth's gravity well.

[@paddyhawaiian]

Correct

[@OMitoclasta]

Well, the condition of not having a protective magnetic field exists on countless planets and even meteors, the Moon can only serve as an outpost for launching mining ships to other planets, it will be much cheaper to leave the Moon, with ships built there, going into space, looking for other sources of metals and gases.

[@sulijoo]

There's only one reason to do any mining in space: to make the world's first trillionaire. Nevermind all that "for mankind" nonsense.

[@remicaron3191]

Maybe the treaty for mining rights should include a clause which allows only countries to buy shares from mining companies in space. This would allow for a fairer distribution of the wealth generated along with possibly a way of paying for the UN independent from countries so they could actually do the job they where intended for. Taxing the off world mining companies by a global body would considerably ameliorate everyone on Earths standard of living. This is probably too easy of a solution to actually happen but we can dream of a better world.

[@kieranmortimer5884]

@@remicaron3191 How would that work when governments hold the ability to print their own currency? Surely some might drive up inflation in the short-term for longer term gains from space mining... then you would also have to consider the structure of the governments investing. Should a country that opposes much of the worlds current social values like North Korea be allowed to invest in these operations freely? Then you would have to get into the question of what countries are 'right' - where there isn't any right answer haha! All this said the UN isn't a body free of it's own biases either - and many countries seem to be stuck in a spot in which they are subservient to the larger economies (Congo being a good example - outstandingly wealthy in natural resources but exploited to no end by the global economy - another good example is cheap European grain flooding East African markets and destroying the local economy (driving up emigrants/refugees) - how would we begin to manage the flood of once rare resources available from space?). It'd be a tough one to think through definitely!

[@Hy-jg8ow]

@@remicaron3191 Definitely a better solution that give it over to greedy corporations. The country which mines there should have the revenue incorporated into their budget and with correct political pressure and transparency checks in place, use that money for public services, or even make the basis of an UBI, just like they do with Oil in Norway or Alaska, etc.

[@remicaron3191]

@@Freja_Solstheim The UN doesn't give any money to nations it takes money from nations to operate. And I'm guessing love democracy also as long as you're the only one allowed to vote. Corruption happens because countries are paying for it. This would make the UN an independent entity with limited powers like it has at the moment. And this wouldn't be a global government, it would be a government to govern sovereign states and global corporation which don't follow the rules which affect other nations sovereignty, peoples of another nation health or well being or corporations which avoid paying their taxes. I think people are ready but not governments and corporations because they would have to follow rules just like the rest of us.

[@remicaron3191]

@@Freja_Solstheim what part of them getting any money don't you understand? The UN is an independent organization which has very little to do with countries. Why, because it's a world organization. You are confused and don't understand their role.

[@amtreasure45]

I thought Helium-3 was all Sci-Fi, since that's my only reference for it. Really cool to learn more about it. Love your videos!

[@lonestarr1490]

The element itself is definitely not sci-fi and it already has applications. However, as long as we don't have nuclear fusion figured out, the applications in hand are not profitable enough to justify the efforts of establishing Moon mining of it.

[@rhoddryice5412]

@@lonestarr1490 But fusion is only twenty years into the future. ;)

[@Hy-jg8ow]

@@rhoddryice5412 Now it has shrunk to 5 years away for the last 20 years or so.

[@friendlyone2706]

There are MANY KZbin videos about H-3. The Wikipedia articles have written sources at their end. Read them. Helium Three was one of many motivations for Space Force, in addition to all the "high ground" arguments.

[@jamespeterson9781]

I hope we keep in mind the delicate interaction the moons existence plays with the earths existence if you get a bunch of people working towards monetary goals and not concerned with the footprint they leave such as what they’ve done on earth as a hole ( way too many to list ) this could mean trouble

[@RagPunker]

Well, the moon is already hostile to life. There is very little that humans could do to it to make it more so. As for the earth/moon delicate interaction? The moon gets 7.4 metric tons of cosmic dust deposited on it every day. But even that isn't significant given the scales we are talking about. The moon is about 9e+18 metric tons. That is a 9 with 18 zeros after it. It would take humans millions of years to make even a slightly significant impact on that. The "delicate interaction" between the moon and earth isn't that delicate.

[@marekkos3513]

Who ever control the spice , control the universe

[@GoodStuff_Travel]

Would human greed eventually destroy the moon? Time will tell

[@friendlyone2706]

Hubris takes many forms.

[@RiXFortuna]

We can try detonating tsar bomba inside its core

[@stagdragon3978]

I mean it's a big place. Then again we certainly have taken away some of earth's beauty. I don't know I feel like seeing lights on the dark side of the moon would be really cool.

[@friendlyone2706]

@@stagdragon3978 Unless you were watching a satellite feed, or were there in person, you would not see lights on the dark side (the far side) of the moon. Seeing the night part of the crescent moon twinkle would be cool.

[@vinay1057]

I love you Switzerland videos

[@markklocek1280]

Mining the moon, Mars, the asteroid belt, outer moons are all loaded with metals, minerals and gases like He3, so I say go for it.

[@Yutani_Crayven]

Yeah, no. The cost of transporting material between Earth and the Moon means that it is not ever going to be cost-efficient to supply Earth industries with materials from the Moon. Mining on the Moon could be useful for space based industry, though.

[@theOcean41]

Yeah they are already doing it bud.. When there is a will, there is a way... Big $$$/Greed motivates like no other...

[@jamesfortune243]

The whole idea reminds me of a scene from the latest Time Machine movie. 🙂

[@JmpaulOfficial]

Yep and how frightening was it when the moon cracked and set course for earth!

[@jamesfortune243]

@@JmpaulOfficial I'm glad someone caught the reference. :)

[@ontoya1]

I need Lunar base in my lifetime ASAP

[@borisbabich]

i was sure i'd live see that. and humans of mars. now pushing to 55... it may be a close call. 😬

[@IveJustHadAPiss]

@@borisbabich life extension tech could be insane 30-40 years from now. Hold on there buddy and we might catch that warp craft to Proxima B.

[@ontoya1]

@@IveJustHadAPiss Yes, even without any genetic tinckering, our 1st Bing leap is well underway and might give us an extra 50-100 years in the form of Organ Cultivation. Our big issue with that is you can't replace a brain! At least not yet. We would 1st have to tackle regeneration of the brain to extend life purely on a constant supply of your own flesh

[@Hy-jg8ow]

This is like a secular version of afterlife-belief.

[@Kalorag]

@@IveJustHadAPiss it will be... just not for us, lol, just like today and the constant organ and blood transfusions of rich ppl, lol....

[@davidpetersen1]

Mining by it's nature is a completely destructive event. Very difficult to contain even with gravity. and apart from the restrictions that come from working in space., the vast quantities of water used by virtually every mining industry endeavor will make this beyond a challenge. But I can see infrastructure being devised with local materials sustaining limited populations. Lots of interesting ideas in your content. Thanks.

[@tapuout101]

Mining is completely destructive? lol Everything you see is going to pass. Atoms are not destroyed they change forms. Do you think the Sun is passing out hugs? lol When people place humans below Rocks its a lack of a brain.

[@davidpetersen1]

@@tapuout101 Sure.. what you said. Lol btw.. tapping out is for quitters. Sayin' z'all.

[@darwinrobot]

Note the use of Moonbase Alpha, from Gerry Anderson's Space 1999 at 6:45 and again at 7:41

[@STSWB5SG1FAN]

I recognized it as soon as I saw it. _1999_ came out around 1975 or so, shame it only lasted two seasons before it was canceled. This is one of the older sci-fi series that would be worthy of a remake/reimagining.

[@chrismalcomson7640]

The cost of getting raw materials into space probably makes it viable on a small scale for use in space but returning it to earth sounds very problematic in any quantity. Quite apart from anything else, what will happen if you slam 50000 tons of material into the ground at terminal valocity?

[@weylandyutani9622]

Maybe they will build a giant space elevator

[@leandrog2785]

If you simply drop it on Earth it will burn up the outer layer, then slam into the ground at supersonic speeds and explode. It would probably scatter much of the material all around the impact zone. But there's no need to do that, of course. Simply put a parachute on it. It will still slam and destroy the container used for it, but since it's just raw materials we're talking about, that's not a problem. The goal is to just be able to recover the material.

[@NNokia-jz6jb]

​@@weylandyutani9622No possible.

[@oed84]

I'd be scared to find out what would happen if we started altering the shape and size of the object that controls the tides on this planet and has also proven to have an effect on any life-form that contains water... but maybe that's just me.

[@acvaticlifE]

I can't imagine those space treatises holding up once expansion starts taking place. Countries will start laying claims on parts of the moon...

[@davidcastillo1340]

It's inevitable. I bet China will be the first to make ridiculous claims to the Moon, just like they do all over the Pacific.

[@brentgreeff1115]

I hope I live to see the first space war with lazer weapons. - will be awesome :)

[@NortheastGamer]

@@brentgreeff1115 Ask a person from New York what 9/11 was like, ask older people what it was like having nuclear war hanging over their head how fun that was, think about how much fun Covid has been. I doubt anyone will use the word "awesome" to describe these experiences. Conflict over space territory is going to be terrifying for the people working in environments where any accident can kill everyone nearby, much more so when an attack could be eminent at any moment. I believe, for those involved, the coming conflicts will be like all three of the events I mentioned above happening all at once, over and over, until the PTSD stricken individuals lose all sense of feeling and take their own lives. "awesome! :)"

[@theluftwaffle1]

I remember a video from the angry astronaut (granted he’s a tad anti China) about the CCP building a railgun on the dark side of the moon for launching payloads of ore back to earth. He quickly explains how that could be turned into a devastating weapon. This century we will militarize space no doubt.

[@WatchfulHunter]

People with power destroy everything good.

[@williamthompson4290]

Two helium-3 nuclei combine to form helium-4, releasing two protons. The product of the reaction, helium-4, is lower in mass, by about 0.7%, than the reactants (four hydrogen nuclei) that went into creating it. This occurs because the hydrogen looses some mass in the form of energy.

[@betterlifeexe4378]

One of the big contaminants in rare earth mining is thorium, which can be used to make thermonuclear reactors much safer. This in turn would make the profit margin of safe mining of rare earths more workable, and also would be an effective alternate power source.

[@siddhunkarthik]

Is it not helium 3 available in abundant on moon ?

[@betterlifeexe4378]

@@siddhunkarthik My comment was not about helium 3 or the moon at all. I was merely pointing out that the problems presented in this video concerning terrestrial mining of rare earths was circumventable. Certainly, there is a lot of helium 3 on the moon. Though truth be told, we don't yet have the means of using it effectively.

[@loturzelrestaurant]

@@betterlifeexe4378 Good point. But no need not to go to the moon. I WANT CHEESE.

[@loturzelrestaurant]

@@siddhunkarthik May i be so random and recommend you some good science-youtuber just... just because? I mean, why not? The learning never ends, duh?

[@bradwatson7324]

So it's possible, by way of the Outer Space Treaty, for most countries to ban nukes and military bases on other celestial bodies, but for some reason we can't manage this on earth?

[@DeadInside-ew8qb]

It’s easy to promise not to do something you are incapable of doing or that’s incredibly hard to detect.

[@stefanschleps8758]

1) Be patient. 2) Have faith. 3) Work towards it yourself! 4) Get involved. 5) Stay involved. 6) Be patient. 7) Have faith. We live in the world we create. Or we suffer someone elses. Good luck.

[@Worther12]

Mainly because no one started it yet. If WW2 didn't happen, and the counties could see the way research was going Nuclear Weapons may have been banned on Earth. Once USA had one, Russia needed one, and so on. Then we stopped, and controlled the manufacture (mostly). That's when ppl decided to ban them in space.

[@DeadInside-ew8qb]

Don’t worry, there’s still a chance nukes will be banned....just as soon as hypervelocity/hyperkinetic weapons are viable 🤯

[@larryd2684]

No

[@mathewadams2929]

Something I never really thought about. Great video as always!

[@Hy-jg8ow]

Really? Never? Wow. I guess I read too much science fiction.

[@friendlyone2706]

@@Hy-jg8ow Or don't share it enough.

[@keith4154]

I can imagine a habitat with artificial gravity orbiting the moon Below ships being built to transport humans and life around the solar system and eventually the stars.

[@sf4137]

Why not just use the moon - it has gravity

[@Assametry]

@@sf4137 Because it has far too little to be healthy for human life

[@loturzelrestaurant]

May i be so random and recommend you some good science-youtuber just... just because? I mean, why not? The learning never ends, duh?

[@OnlineAdjunct]

Mining on the moon and getting the materials back to Earth would be extremely expensive, so if we mine, it would have to be something extremely valuable to make it worth the trip.

[@airstar8799]

It’s like anything else it get expensive at first but when the structure(moon base) and technology develops it will get cheaper. Imagine you mine 1 ton of He3 that probably can run a city of a million people for like 10 yrs. Imagine a cleaner earth less carbon footprint and maybe a halt to earth temperature increase. Remember fresh water is evaporating away in many countries as heat increase and other problems arise like sea level going up and oceans become acidic leading the ocean ecology to collapses into mass extinctions. Mining on the moon will lead the way to mining asteroids with super high value goodies. Yes the race is on. Sign me up for MoonMiner I’m ready

[@knives9284]

Traveling across the Atlantic ocean to the America's was probably seen as a pipe dream by many, but it started a new era of discovery, opening up trade routes, colonization and exploration of the unknown. I believe mining the Moon will have a similar impact, but this time the gap between the old and the new worlds are in space and if mankind succeeds, it will prove we are capable of becoming an interplanetary civilization. From the Moon, to Mars, and beyond the Asteroid Belt.

[@marychristenson3913]

Just keep on watching Star-Trek. A long way to go when you get out of our solar system.

[@Energine1]

I think the term commonly used to describe open mining as... "moonscaping" is starting to sound like a time travelers tongue in cheek joke. Lol

[@dreambuild8975]

International Lunar Research Station is supposed is be built about 2035 by CNSA and Roskosmos, so there is actually a chance to work on the moon in the future, hopefully the plan goes smoothly.

[@vladislawr1594]

No need for helium 3 until there is a working fusion reactor and there isn't any.

[@philgiglio7922]

To borrow a quote from the late SF author Robert Heinlein..."it's raining soup and we don't know what a soup bowl is."

[@c-note4146]

Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle: Lucifer's Hammer Further, in order to mine the moon, once bases are set up there...can we just ship all the incarcerated there to do the actual mining and they can ship it back to earth? Trick question; we know from Heinlein's book titled The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, we can but really shouldn't.

[@anonymike8280]

@@c-note4146 My Kleenex box is empty and you're worrying about what kind of mistress the Moon is. Fie. Fie.

[@c-note4146]

@@anonymike8280 😂 good one! But no I’m not worried a any mistress there, I’m worried they’ll chuck big ass boulders at the earth if we don’t meet their demands.

[@anonymike8280]

@@c-note4146 I keep on saying, the reason why we never went back to the Moon is because the people who there already told not not. Most get it, a few don't. My go-to riff about the Moon is that there's a reason why the Sun goes down and the Moon comes out. There's a reason why they put switches on lights. Without the Moon, none of us would be here.

[@NicholasA231]

Waiting to see how everyone else handles the country that sets up a launch facility on the moon to send big chunks of metal back to earth.

[@LouisJamesMallison]

hopefully an anthropogenically caused chicxulub situation will depose humans of their dictatorship over all the other organisms

[@michaelscott-joynt3215]

@@LouisJamesMallison At the very least, a hard reset. I've heard rumor that, if civilization flatlined and humans lost all heavy machinery, we'd have no way to get back into deep mining, where all the critical resources remain. We'd be reset to primitive technology, climbing back to middle ages and probably only make it back to the Renaissance, effectively. It's a nice thought.

[@missymoonwillow6545]

Go watch Time Machine, the more modern edition of it. Moon mining... bad idea.

[@NortheastGamer]

@@michaelscott-joynt3215 Such a nice thought that we'd never be able to produce modern medicine and people would die in droves to, what we now know, are preventable conditions. Nice to live in a world where doctors will frequently think "in the old world I could cure this patient, but now I can only make them comfortable and watch them die". Yay!

[@joswasi4144]

@@missymoonwillow6545 either way, moon mining will happen.

[@TheGodofReason]

The reactors your primary mining target, Helium-3, are used for are fusion. They don't exist yet. Hope this helps.

[@Grizzleback07]

I would like to know how many additional elements are deposited on the moon that are left by the Sun and its CMEs.

[@mikeholloway2625]

Everything in the periodic tables is there.

[@loturzelrestaurant]

@@mikeholloway2625 May i be so random and recommend you some good science-youtuber just... just because? I mean, why not?

[@mikeholloway2625]

@@loturzelrestaurant I like science stuff... Why not?

[@loturzelrestaurant]

@@mikeholloway2625 Try Oversimplified and Tier-Zoo for Starters; They arent really sicentific, but smart.

[@LouisJamesMallison]

It will be a sad day when they start tearing up the moon like they have the Earth.

[@MichelleIbarraMHAEdD]

Agreed. Despite any altruistic ideas about using the moon to help humanity, corporate greed and profitability agendas will ruin it all.

[@Hy-jg8ow]

At least no Pandas would be harmed that way.

[@hawkdsl]

@@Hy-jg8ow We must make the Moon pay for hitting Earth 4 billion years ago. A hit like that can not go unanswered.

[@roryb5512]

I always love when a new video comes up!

[@AngelArm1110]

Asteroid mining, at least to me, makes a great deal more sense than lunar mining, at least in the context of materials being sent back to earth. This is assuming of course that the asteroid belt has useful materials in it as well

[@dekippiesip]

Not so sure about that. The lack of gravity compared to the moon is actually a disadvantage. It's much harder to land on an asteroid and drill that it is on the moon.

[@AngelArm1110]

@@dekippiesip that's a fair point. I guess when it comes to space, as ever its just a long series of compromises and trade offs.

[@VICE-H3RO]

Asteroids travels 50x faster than a bullet, we don’t have technology to make mining on them possible

[@deanpatterson9036]

I love the false color shot!

[@skhosanamathiyane]

You right 🤣🤣🤣

[@encross8058]

yeah it looks like it's made of crayons

[@Mohagnito94]

Do we simply want to be a space fairing species Uuummmmm YES! at least I do Love your channel mate ♥

[@yousurf374]

no... we should go no farther than the moon, with life... if it is possible due to the massive radiation issue. Mars is sure death.

[@FakeMaker]

@@yousurf374 Why is Mars sure death? Radiaton? If so, that's of course a major problem, but I've heard of various proposals about building martian bases in the hillsides, which would block a substantial amount of radiation. There's also a lot of focus on researching lightweight materials capable of blocking radiation. I believe that by the time people land on Mars, we'll have solved a good chunk of the issues we're facing.

[@Scott_C]

We should also consider colonizing Venus.

[@bfreeman8786]

It's not that simple. Why is the ELE of Fukushima glossed over? The reality of UFOs/UAPs/USOs and so much technology still isn't known by many. What of the reasons publicly given for not returning to the moon? And Ebens. How didn't we die in the cold war? Wasn't because of humans most of the times. Beware the bringers of false gifts. What secrets does the moon hide?

[@yousurf374]

@@bfreeman8786 Hide.. well, some may say the TIDAL LOCK is not due to tides, but moon center of mass facing us, and that the moon is really concave on the far side and that either demons or alien observers are based there. There were some odd astronaut "reports" . Only a very few would know for sure.

[@FactTalkOfficial]

Anyone who sees this comment is a genius as you have interest in facts and information about the cosmos

[@Austin_Schulz]

Your rite im smart

[@FactTalkOfficial]

@@Austin_Schulz yep

[@erenbagc7485]

I am here for aesthetics. Cosmos happens to be very beautiful.

[@flatmarssociety4614]

It doesnt work like that but okay

[@foggiatofam5]

Thanks 😊

[@TheBHAitken]

The moon's resourses will ensure that we CAN go to Mars. The moon is the first stop on any sort of system exploration, and the fact that the moon can be mined means we will be able to finance any further operations and provide a location for space vessel mass production.

[@renatocorreaarrieche]

Mining Moon will be profitable depending on what will be found there in the next years.

[@wriggler6983]

De Beers was apparently investigating the viability of diamond mining on the moon back in the mid 90s.

[@joelthomastr]

0:12 "Do we simply want to be a spacefaring species, exploring the solar system for the betterment of humanity? Or do people smell profit in space?" TAKE A WILD GUESS

[@generaleerelativity9524]

I'm not so sure about mining our celestial neighbor as it could lead to a disruption of its orbital position which could lead to a disruption of our tides. The moon is tidally locked for a reason. Taking too much away from it may result in a catastrophe.

[@Seastallion]

@@generaleerelativity9524 Removing that much material would take eons. Most of it wouldn't be considered useful, being straight up rock. Your sense of scale is badly skewed if this is one of your worries.

[@larryd2684]

All life from cells on up profit from expanding into new territory. It is our job to expand throughout the universe. What a plan.

[@mikaelterdell1177]

Great video as always, thank you!

[@joanpere8863]

LiIon batteries don't contain rare earth material at all. RE are used in permanent magnets, electronic components like chips, solid state lasers, LED, Solar cells in ppm quantities.

[@KimiiiRaikkonen]

Yay more astrum videos ! Alwats exciting, and also relaxing :)

[@ZenFuKid]

Whatever we end up starting on the moon in this century, 500 years from now we will be kicking ourselves for being so short sighted, greedy, and destructive.

[@5mnz7fg]

Provided there is anybody left in 500 years...

[@ciprianpopa1503]

3:30 that color map does not represent different deposits of minerals, but a method to image (color enhancing) different lithologies. A certain lithology (rock for the laymen) has very low concentrations of useful minerals. 4:28 glass could also be made indeed on the moon. But that specific silicate glass will only melt at temperatures beyond 1200 C. The glass we make on Earth is alkaline, i.e. alkali salts are added to lower the melt temperature of the silicate around 700 C.

[@williamthompson4290]

Under high pressure, helium-3 can be infused into lithium crystals. Is the constant radiation from the sun somehow infusing helium-3 into some sort of crystal or lithium over time?

[@evekinglehman84]

How about making a video explaining what elements are represented in the beautiful, colorized picture of the moon? Thanks for all your work. You have a pleasant, calm, happy voice.

[@patrickfair9107]

This is the thing that we need to bring the whole world together a new kind of space race. So many countries have space programs of their own. it's something that we can all participate in, that would have benefits for the whole world.

[@bobmarshall3700]

You must have rocks in your head if you think this will bring us all together. It will just be another excuse to kill each other. Where there is profit there is greed and someone will want it all for themselves. Besides, the ordinary citizen will never be allowed to participate in any wealth. That's not the way the human race works. It will be corrupt corporations and the wealthy who will take control and try to kill all the competition.

[@oceanthresher6184]

It’s a pipe dream under capitalism.

[@tedbear631]

You had me at clean burning fusion reactor

[@justthinking4670]

Mining the Moon is absolutely necessary. Our need for these "Rare Earth Elements " isn't going to diminish. Mining the Moon hopefully replace or at least decrease the many down sides associated with mining R.E.E. One the greatest challenges of mining the Moon is the long term effects of the decreased gravity of the Moon. Curious to know more about Moon gravity effects on people and plants

[@Matstarx25]

How the hell do you get millions of tons of rock back to earth constantly?

[@motomass8458]

Same way as you get all the equipment up there. But I suspect it would be refined on the moon.

[@friendlyone2706]

@@motomass8458 trip down, using the same software Elon uses to land his reusable rockets.

[@steverushforth7009]

I think you will find that the most valuable minerals will be mined and processed first, also the return journey due to the moon's low gravity only needs a small fraction of the fuel.

[@Jack.Waters]

I think if we aren't super careful Our Moon will look like Giedi Prime.

[@fuhkoffandie]

Heck yeah....🤪.... I just looked, my eyes are glowing blue

[@patrickbranin7065]

I can think of one sure way to get people to colonize the moon and Mars: discover gold.

[@mrfxm55]

It could be dangerous to remove mass weight from the Moon. More likely whatever materials collected from planets or the moon would be used in construction of bases. Asteroids however is a separate issue entirely. But if you bring hundreds of tons of gold back to Earth it would devaluate world economies.

[@wahidsaifudeen1651]

Helium is more expensive than the gold in weight.

[@patrickbranin7065]

@@wahidsaifudeen1651 You missed the point. It's not about the value. It's about the lure...

[@wahidsaifudeen1651]

@@patrickbranin7065 I got your point. But the cost of the travel can be met quickly by transporting helium than the gold.

[@aaronh1372]

@@wahidsaifudeen1651 Don't think you got the point.. The lure of gold, gold fever, instills something in people that makes them take a loss simply to get it, often not a monetary loss but those things of most importance that are surrendered.

[@sheepheard483]

With an infinite amount of time, an infinite amount of planets, an infinite amount of possibilities, wherever you have infinity possibilities you don’t have infinity possibilities you have as many absolutes. When you have infinity there is nothing that is impossible.

[@madmotorcyclist]

I was extremely lucky/fortunate in College when I did my honor thesis in geology I got to be in the lab when the moon rock samples were there. It was an awesome experience.

[@akingdom4mypeople343]

Super geek

[@adabrute]

What did you find interesting in the sample

[@madmotorcyclist]

@@adabrute I didn't work on the sample I was measuring strontium 90 in igneous rocks from SE Missouri at the time. I only got to see the rocks (not touch them, unfortunately :-()

[@freemanscott78]

I live in Strontian

[@bigtom2808]

WOW, you must be a very important person - or - NASA wanted to be sure they would not die of some weird bugs from the moon.

[@andycordy5190]

Thank you. A balanced view is so important.

[@sunnyjim1355]

Yet meaningless.

[@Tartersauce101]

You know...affecting the mass of the moon WILL affect the orbit of it AND the ocean tides...

[@mawage666]

Who cares about mining? Let's go set up a disc golf course on that bad boy!

[@zenwolf3081]

Moonace comin up

[@lisaarehart1637]

Yes!

[@johnnycampbell3422]

You are obviously a man of discernment, judgment, and vision.

[@solomonkane102]

Lunar mountain bike racing.

[@amedaguirre661]

Your brain is poor

[@DxBALLxD]

i can't wait to look up to the night sky and barely glimpse a faded dull moon that's lost it's surface sheen by being turned inside out under china. even oddworld... with it's cruel reality of inescapable dictators yet had the last beacon of a majestic aura beyond pain death and life be a truly untouchable giant, looming over all concepts of power, much to the ruler's dismay. the moon stayed sacred, an undeniable spotlight to recall the origin, to be humbled by in face of unspeakable beauties in sizes beyond any creature's grasp. but no. reach it, and turn it to green car factories. i'll never see nature again. nowhere on earth will be shared with my ancestor's eyes. what hubris will take from us we never know until it's already gone.

[@friendlyone2706]

Or maybe the moon will become brighter? Our dreams bigger? our choices more numerous than the stars in the sky?

[@iCore7Gaming]

What... i think i had a stroke trying to read this.

[@vonNeumannProbed]

So what should we do? Sit here on Earth and wait until overpopulation and resource scarcity turns nations against one another just for survival? The future is space, space is the only future for mankind.

[@h00db01i]

@@vonNeumannProbed both

[@Meboy-uv5td]

i mean unless literally the entire surface of the moon is covered in stuff it really wont look any difference, the moon isnt exactly particularly shiny, its an off white, mining wont change that, and if anything it would become prettier, as you could potentially see a spiderweb of human settlements and the like

[@TheJbh147]

I read the title as, "what resources can be mined to the moon." I think I need to give the markets a break😅

[@AintYourChannel]

💎🙌

[@luchacefox259]

LMFAO "Going Back" Good one.

[@archstanton3763]

Going back to the moon !!! Hahaha you almost had me at that one, good to see there is still people out there with a sense of humour. Thanks for the chuckle.