China Considers Building a ‘Catapult’ on the Moon to Bring Raw Materials to Earth

The concept of a lunar catapult is not new. Science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein described a similar system as early as 1966 in his book The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. Now it seems that technology is finally catching up with imagination.

The idea is like a high-tech version of hammer throwing. A 50-meter-long rotating arm could fire charges toward our planet. And thanks to the moon’s low gravity and lack of atmosphere, the system would work more efficiently than on Earth, the English-language Chinese newspaper reported. South China Morning Post.

fuel for nuclear fusion

The Chinese primarily see opportunities to transport helium-3, a rare element that is rarely found on Earth. This could serve as fuel for future nuclear fusion reactors. Although commercial nuclear fusion may not be available for decades, helium-3 could also be used for other applications, such as scientific experiments and medical imaging.

The project is part of China’s plans to create a permanent base on the moon, which it may want to build with Russia. The launch facility could be operational around 2045, but several challenges remain. For example, a way to extract helium-3 from moon dust must first be found.

Although it would be an expensive project (estimated price tag of around 16 billion euros), the researchers believe it could pay for itself quickly. The annual yield of extracted helium-3 could reach billions.

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