Helium-3 pushes Russia to establish unmanned base on moon

Moscow, Oct 5 (UNI) Russia is likely to set up an unmanned base on the moon by 2011 to meet fuel shortage for thermonuclear reactors.

''There is an official Russian project to launch a moon satellite, to be called Luna-Globe,'' Vladimir Shevchenko, a professor at the State Astronomy Institute of Moscow State University, was quoted by Interfax as saying at a scientific conference here today.

''This may be followed by projects for new landing modules and moon research vehicles. And if such a programme materialises, a Russian base may be set up on the Moon by 2011,'' Mr Shevchenko said.

Earlier, deputy chief of the Russian Space Agency for the International Space Station (ISS) programme Nikolai Moiseyev said an automated Russian base may be established on the moon in 2020-2025.

Mr Moiseyev said Russia's ISS programme includes advanced studies aimed at the exploration of the solar system, including the use of automated spacecraft.

In particular, he mentioned the ''Luna-Globe'' project for studying the internal structure of the moon, delivering samples of the moon rocks to the earth, and the use of Moon resources.

Russia and the United States have already entered a new space race for the moon as Russian space officials announced in January plans to set up a permanent base on the moon by 2020 to mine valuable fuel.

''We are planning to build a permanent base on the moon by 2015 and begin the industrial-scale delivery of the rare isotope Helium-3 by 2020,'' head of Russia's Energia space corporation Nikolai Sevastyanov said.

Helium-3 is a highly promising fuel for thermonuclear reactors, which is extremely scarce on the Earth and abundant on the moon.

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