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

Former NASA Astronaut Harrison Schmitt advocates a private, investor-based approach to returning humans to the Moon—to extract Helium 3 for energy production, to use the Moon as a platform for science and manufacturing, and to establish permanent human colonies there in a kind of stepping stone community on the way to deeper space.

Introduction: 25 Years from Today.- The Legacy of Apollo: The geopolitical, cultural, and scientific legacy of Apollo, including the discovery of lunar energy resources.- Global Energy in the 21st Century: The increasing future demand for energy and the alternatives to meet that demand including lunar Helium-3 fusion.- Fundamentals of Helium-3 Fusion: The basic principles of Helium-3 fusion including its advantages and disadvantages relative to other energy alternatives.- Lunar Helium-3 Resources: How much we know about the concentration, distribution, and geology of lunar Helium-3 and related resources.- Economic Approaches to a Return to the Moon: Comparison of various combinations of private, federal, and international approaches to funding and managing a return to the Moon.- Lessons from Apollo Management: The nature of the Apollo management system and the lessons that can be drawn from its successes and failures.- Private Business/Investor Approach: The details and milestones in a private business and investor-based approach to a return to the Moon.- Bridging Businesses: Bridging businesses that apply helium-3 fusion technologies; in particular, positron emitting isotope production for medical diagnostics (PET), and a general discussion of other, follow-on bridging businesses.- Lunar Resource Production Operations: The essential elements of the initiation and early operation of a lunar resource production and processing endeavor.- Ancillary Businesses: The use of technologies developed for accessing and using lunar Helium-3 for space exploration, astronomy from the Moon, space tourism, diversion of asteroids and comets, and national security.- Space Law Related to Lunar Resources: Lunar resource development in the context of international law and specifically of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967.- Human vs Machine Roles in Space Exploration and Development: The relative merits of human and robotic systems in space.- Long-term Implications: The long-term implications of the development of lunar resources on the betterment of the human condition, the advancement of civilization, the settlement of space, and the defense of the Earth.