Return to the Moon: Exploration, Enterprise, and Energy in the Human Settlement of Space

I've always been a big space exploration advocate, so OK, I'm an easy sell on reasons to go out there. Having admitted my bias, I think it's fair to say that Harrison Schmitt's RETURN TO THE MOON is very convincing in asserting that the Moon's vast helium-3 deposits may well be a major part of the answer to our energy problems here on Earth, since helium-3 is an ideal fuel for nuclear fusion reactors and there's not much of it on Earth. Schmitt readily admits that a lot of work would have to be done to achieve this, especially 1) more development of fusion reactors, 2) establishing a Lunar base to mine helium-3 from the Moon's soil, and 3) setting up a transportation system to get the helium-3 from the Moon to the Earth. One big advantage here, though, it that NASA is planning to send people back to the Moon for various reasons anyway, so we would not have to go solely to mine helium-3. Schmitt has obviously done a great deal of research on all this, mainly as a geology professor at the University of Wisconsin. I think he makes a good case for the feasiblility of it, though I'm not an engineer so I can't really assess all that he is saying. In the book's foreword, Neil Armstrong, who IS an engineer, deems the proposal "worthy of careful examination." Schmitt lays the proposal out in much detail - fusion technology, mining processes, economics, and so on - such that the book is usually dry and academic in tone and would probably lose those just moderately interested in space. But if he is right that the Moon's helium-3 will save us, we had better ALL be interested in this. We're in an energy crisis on Earth, and Schmitt estimates we'll need at least 8 times more energy production by 2050! It is true, as some have noted, that Schmitt does not emphasize the reduction of global warming as one of the main advantages to be gleaned from helium-3 fusion, but he does say that it would help in that regard. He states that we will need a "portfolio of fusion, fission, clean coal, and solar energy (including wind)" to deal with our energy needs by 2050, and that this combination "gradually reduces the addition of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere from human sources, cutting that particular contribution to natural climate warming trends. Whether future climate warms, or warms and then cools rapidly, more electrical power will be required to counter the adverse consequences of change." (page 326) If human activity is more responsible for climate change than Schmitt believes, helium-3 fusion is even more attractive, as it releases no greenhouse gases. By the way, the cover of RETURN TO THE MOON says that Schmitt "is currently the last human being to have STEPPED ONTO the Moon." (emphasis mine). This is a trick of semantics, because his Apollo 17 partner, Eugene Cernan, is sometimes said to be the last person to have WALKED ON the Moon. These statements are both correct in a tricky way, because Schmitt was the last person in Apollo 17 (the last human flight

This book is an excellent point-by-point rationale for an American return to the Moon by the end of the next decade. Dr Schmitt gives condensed lessons in the history of America's space program, Launch economics, Lunar geology( his specialty), and physics. The main raison d'etre for the return is to harvest He3, a fuel for fusion reactors. He lays out the pros and cons of each type of reaction, and finds this one to be worth studying. He also brings up the idea of the moon as being a new frontier, which I find very compelling.

One of the last men to have walked on the Moon has written a great book on why the next people should visit the Moon and eventually stay. Dr. Schmitt's premise is that a substance called Helium 3, found in some quantity mixed with lunar soil, can be the fuel for fusion reactors of the future. If he is right, then the Moon might just be the Persian Gulf of this century, providing a great deal of the world's energy needs. Thus, Return to the Moon is a topical book in light of President Bush's initiative to return humans to the Moon. A must read for anyone interested in the future.

. Harrison H. (Jack) Schmitt was the last of 12 Apollo Astronauts to set foot on the Moon in December 1972, a geologist whose professional background was indispensable for exploring the Valley of Taurus-Littrow, the landing site of Apollo 17. That skill was particularly evidenced by his on-the-spot field analysis of the origin of the house-sized broken boulder on the slopes of the North Massif, and by his discovery of orange-colored soil at Shorty Crater. The orange soil turned out to be pyroclastic glass, a chondritic volcanic material from a depth of around 500 km (300 miles), which had not changed in chemical composition since the origin of the Moon. This orange soil was not just localized to Shorty Crater. Jack's crewmates, Ron Evans and Gene Cernan, both spotted orange soil patterns around a number of other craters from orbit once they knew what to look for. Moreover, support geologists at Mission Control also later discovered more orange areas in some of the earlier Apollo 14 orbital photos while Apollo 17 was still circling the Moon. These observations have a profound impact on theories of the origin of the Moon because they indicate that the Moon's interior composition has changed little since it formed. Theories of formation that include complete re-melting of the interior, which would alter that chemical composition, can therefore be excluded. Thus, drawing on his experiences as a field geologist, Jack found a clue confirmed at the time by others he instructed that is fundamental to our understanding of the Moon's origin. Now, 33 years after his mission, Jack has similarly drawn on that lunar geological experience, as well as his practical knowledge of NASA, industry, government, and teaching, to write a book astonishing in the breadth covered by its 14 chapters, each with references and endnotes for those wishing to pursue cited topics further. No one interested in the practical application of going back to the Moon and on to Mars can afford to miss reading this exposition. The book is an outgrowth of course lectures that Jack gave at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UWisc) over several years, the last series in the Spring of 2004, but since brought up to date and expanded considerably. His students must have really enjoyed attending those classes because he is a great lecturer! The basic premise is the establishment of a permanent lunar mining colony as a private commercial enterprise to process and ship Helium-3 (He-3), the light isotope of regular helium gas (He-4), back to the Earth to fuel fusion reactors for the production of electricity. He-3 is carried in the solar wind, which is deflected from the Earth by the geomagnetic field. However, it has been impinging on the lunar surface for the entire history of the Moon where it becomes embedded in the soil particles (regolith), constantly overturned by micrometeorite bombardment. Jack explains how these mostly pollution-free fusion reactions work in terms easy to understand,

I have waited 33 years to read this book ... and 'Return to the Moon' has been well worth the wait! Shortly after midnight on December 7, 1972, I witnessed the launch of Apollo 17 from the Kennedy Space Center. It was an incredible sight -- one I will never forget. It was also the last Apollo Moon Mission. And one of the three astronauts atop that mighty Saturn V rocket was destined to become the first geologist to leave his footprints in the lunar soil. As such, I have always wondered what Harrison H. Schmitt might write about his three -day field trip to the Valley of Taurus-Littrow. But 'Return to the Moon' is not a look back at Schmitt's remarkable lunar voyage. Rather, it is a careful examination of what scientists have learned about the Moon as a result of their studying the samples that Schmitt and the eleven other moonwalkers brought back to Earth. Specifically, it describes the discovery of helium-3 in the lunar topsoil -- and the tremendous potential of that isotope as a fuel for fusion reactors. In fact, as the title implies, 'Return to the Moon' is about the future! Dr. Schmitt, who was also the only moonwalker to serve in the U.S. Senate, offers a detailed blueprint of why and how humankind should and can return to the Moon in order to utilize helium-3 in terrestrial powerplants -- providing a radiation-free, environment-friendly alternative to fossil fuels and fission reactors for the production of electricity. As Neil Armstrong writes in his thoughtful foreword, "Dr. Schmitt builds his persuasive case with a plethora of detail." Indeed, he does. Schmitt covers not only the scientific aspects of the private sector enterprise he proposes in the book, but he also discusses the economic, managerial and geopolitical factors that would affect our 'Return to the Moon.' This is a scientific book. Yet, Dr. Schmitt writes clearly and concisely. He appeals to the average reader, as well as to the more scientifically-inclined. After all, he is trying to persuade the general public that a 'Return to the Moon' is both feasible and necessary. Schmitt's visionary ideas are both fascinating and captivating. I could not put the book down. 'Return to the Moon' is destined to become an instant classic. Much as past generations were inspired by Jules Verne's fictional account of space travel, 'Return to the Moon' will inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs and space explorers. It is a 'must read' for anyone who believes in our future in space, as well as anyone who is concerned about our future on Earth. Harrison Schmitt did not write another astronaut memoir. Instead, he has given us something far more important. He has provided us with a guidebook to the future. Thank you, Dr. Schmitt. It is obvious that humankind was well-served when you took your place aboard Apollo 17 and caught the 'last seat' to the Moon. The manner in which you weaved the lessons of the past with the challenges of the fut