Too expensive
Although it may be worth going back in a while if we can crack nuclear fusion. There's a hell of a lot more helium-3 on the moon than there is on earth. A shuttle-full would power the USA for a whole year.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Mon 20 Jul 2009, 10:57, 2 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

Have we not cracked nuclear fusion yet?
Lazy buggers. Too many tea breaks and not enough calculus.
( girlinthehole, Mon 20 Jul 2009, 11:03, Reply)

Oh, we can get it to work pretty well
Problem is, we're still putting in more energy to the reactor than we're getting out of it.

Hopefully ITER will sort that out, but it's not built yet.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Mon 20 Jul 2009, 11:05, Reply)

Get Enzyme to fix it.
He's a clever chap.
( girlinthehole, Mon 20 Jul 2009, 11:06, Reply)

Hahaaa
He's got you fooled.
Also, he can't do science.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Mon 20 Jul 2009, 11:10, Reply)

looking forward to the scare-mongering that goes with them turning that on
it'll be the LHC all over again.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Mon 20 Jul 2009, 11:06, Reply)

Oh yeah
I forget the world still hadn't imploded. When they turning that on again, or have I missed the panic?
( TGB checking Off Topic is still shit at, Mon 20 Jul 2009, 11:08, Reply)

Pfft!
We'll all be dead with swine flu before that happens.
( girlinthehole, Mon 20 Jul 2009, 11:08, Reply)

The problem now
lies with engineers, rather than scientists. Scientists have proved fusion will work. Now we need some clever engineers to build a machine to make it happen.




Sorry - some HMHB just came into my head there - "Make it happen, bass player"
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Mon 20 Jul 2009, 11:09, Reply)

K2k6 is quite right...
...moom missions are on the agenda for India, China, the USA, Europe and Japan who are all a tad strapped for future reserves of clean energy.

He³ on the moon could cover all of humanity's energy needs for the next millenia - if we get the engineering problems for fusion cracked of course. $100 per barrel of oil should provide the incentive for that.
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Mon 20 Jul 2009, 11:58, Reply)