Chinese scientists planning rotating launch system on the moon
- The magnetic system would operate in the same way as an Olympic hammer thrower to send lunar resources back to Earth
Chinese scientists have proposed building a magnetic launcher on the moon to provide a cost-effective way of sending resources extracted from the lunar surface back to Earth.
The magnetic levitation facility would work on the same principle as the hammer throw in athletics but rotating at increasing speeds before throwing the launch capsule towards Earth.
By taking advantage of the moon’s unique environment, such as its high vacuum and low gravity, it would be able to eject payloads twice a day at around 10 per cent of the cost of existing transport methods, according to researchers from the Shanghai Institute of Satellite Engineering.
“The system’s technical readiness is relatively high. Since it consumes only electricity and does not require any propellant, it will be relatively small in scale and straightforward to implement,” the researchers wrote in the journal Aerospace Shanghai.
“The main goal is to extract and return helium-3 to help address Earth’s energy crisis. The project will also boost the development of space mining technologies, heavy launch vehicles, and artificial intelligence.”
Helium-3, which is a light, stable isotope of the more common helium-4, has been hailed as a clean, safe, and efficient fuel that could generate energy through controllable nuclear fusion.
