Disappointing Lack of Lunar Uranium
Bad news from Kaguya (http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/new-moon-uranium-map-100622.html).
Apparently, uranium is quite rare at the Lunar surface, which makes it improbable that Lunar uranium will be exportable. I do take issue with this point, though
"Forget things like uranium mines or nuclear reactors," said cosmochemist Robert Reedy, a member of the Kaguya science team and a senior scientist at the Tucson-based Planetary Science Institute. "The concentrations are very far from being of commercial levels."
because what Reedy is forgetting is that
(1) Nuclear fission power reactors will probably be important only in the early phase of Lunar colonization, because by the 22nd century nuclear fusion power reactors will probably have displaced fission. And Luna is relatively rich in Helium-3, for a terrestrial world, and
(2) During that early phase of Lunar colonization, populations and hence energy requirements will be small in absolute terms. This means that the amount of uranium required for power reactors will also be samll in absolute terms, and
(3) Even if Luna is uranium-poor compared to the Earth, that does not mean that there are no minable deposits of uranium, in quantities sufficient for early colonies. Remember, Luna is a whole world, and only a few concentrations of uranium would be more than adequate for such small settlements.
Still, this does put a damper on one possible resource for export. Which is sad, because the more such resources, the better the prospects of rapid Lunar colonization.
Apparently, uranium is quite rare at the Lunar surface, which makes it improbable that Lunar uranium will be exportable. I do take issue with this point, though
"Forget things like uranium mines or nuclear reactors," said cosmochemist Robert Reedy, a member of the Kaguya science team and a senior scientist at the Tucson-based Planetary Science Institute. "The concentrations are very far from being of commercial levels."
because what Reedy is forgetting is that
(1) Nuclear fission power reactors will probably be important only in the early phase of Lunar colonization, because by the 22nd century nuclear fusion power reactors will probably have displaced fission. And Luna is relatively rich in Helium-3, for a terrestrial world, and
(2) During that early phase of Lunar colonization, populations and hence energy requirements will be small in absolute terms. This means that the amount of uranium required for power reactors will also be samll in absolute terms, and
(3) Even if Luna is uranium-poor compared to the Earth, that does not mean that there are no minable deposits of uranium, in quantities sufficient for early colonies. Remember, Luna is a whole world, and only a few concentrations of uranium would be more than adequate for such small settlements.
Still, this does put a damper on one possible resource for export. Which is sad, because the more such resources, the better the prospects of rapid Lunar colonization.