China's magnetic launcher on Moon will transport resources to Earth
Chinese scientists have proposed an innovative magnetic launcher to transport lunar resources back to Earth, in a cost-effective manner. The team from the Shanghai Institute of Satellite Engineering, has designed a magnetic levitation system for this purpose. This system, inspired by the hammer throw principle, would utilize the Moon's high vacuum and low gravity conditions to launch payloads toward Earth twice daily.
How will the launcher work?
The magnetic launcher is a technologically advanced system that requires only electricity to function, eliminating the need for propellant. As reported in Aerospace Shanghai, this makes it a compact and straightforward solution for lunar resource transport. The primary objective of this project is to extract and return helium-3 from the Moon, a potential solution to Earth's energy crisis.
Helium-3: A potential energy solution
The Moon's soil is estimated to contain one million tons of helium-3, which is enough to power the world for over a thousand years. According to the research paper, just 20 tons of this element could satisfy China's annual electricity needs. The proposed launch system would utilize a 50-meter rotating arm and a high-temperature superconducting motor, to send capsules filled with lunar resources back to Earth.
Launch system's operation and energy efficiency
The launch system would take approximately 10 minutes to reach the Moon's escape velocity of 2.4km per second, setting the capsule on its return trajectory to Earth. The system is designed to be energy efficient, using solar and nuclear power. It is expected that over 70% of energy will be recovered after each launch, by converting kinetic energy back into electricity during deceleration.
Potential collaboration and challenges
The magnetic launcher, designed to last for at least 20 years, could be part of a proposed Russian-Chinese collaboration to set up a research station on the Moon by 2035. However, there are significant challenges to overcome. These include installing it on the uneven lunar surface, maintaining its stability at high speeds, and withstanding temperature fluctuations as well as cosmic radiation and lunar dust.
