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Loon013 t1_j30bpk6 wrote

Helium 3 is much easier to produce on earth than it is to mine on the moon. Tritium (hydrogen with two neutrons) is used in h-bombs. It has a half life of 12 yrs and decays into helium 3. Tritium can be produced by bombarding lithium with neutrons.

And we are not capable of deuterium/helium 3 fusion reactors yet, which are orders of magnitude more difficult than deuterium/tritium reactors.

Fusion power is like a manned mars mission, always 20 to 30 years from now. I know there are recent developments that may change both, but they both still need significant breakthroughs.

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FNFiveThree t1_j30swro wrote

Helion has had some success with Deuterium / Helium 3.

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fangedrandy OP t1_j30cb73 wrote

I assumed we were about 20 or so years away but yeah that's my bad.

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fangedrandy OP t1_j30cd3c wrote

Given technology grows at an exponential rate etc.

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