I recently saw the hour-long BBC documentary called "Moon for Sale" first broadcast in 2007. The filmmakers interview both Harrison Schmitt (Apollo 17) and Ed Mitchell (Apollo 14), who take fairly opposite positions on the proposed future exploitation of Helium-3 resources in lunar regolith in order to fuel advanced fusion reactors (leapfrogging relatively inefficient and tricky deuterium-tritium fusion technology to [second generation] He3-deuterium or even [third generation] He3-He3 fusion).  It's an excellent and entertaining introduction to a very interesting subject that I will be writing about in greater detail soon.

But a short teaser:

Gerald Kulcinski (also in the BBC film) is Director of the Fusion Technology Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the leading He-3 fusion researcher. He has said elsewhere that his biggest problem in dealing with both NASA and the U.S. Dept. of Energy in getting support for funding to build a larger prototype reactor is that NASA says, essentially, "Sure, we can get you He-3 from the moon. Very do-able. But you'll never get fusion technology to work." And DOE says, essentially, "Developing He-3 to He-3 fusion technology is very do-able, but you'll never be able to get He-3."

Mr. Right Hand, I'd like to introduce you to your future best friend, Mr. Left Hand.

In the meantime, check out the video.

Wherefore art thou?

No postings lately because I've been trying to figure out A. how to use both WordPress and TypePad, and B. which I like better. For all the hoo-haw about WordPress, I think TypePad seems easier, but I may change my mind.

Anyway... stuff is a-brewin'.... In the meantime, amuse yourself with a map of my world travels. (Or not.)