TECHNICAL PAPERS
Apr 1, 1997

Interlune-Intermars Business Initiative: Returning to Deep Space

Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 10, Issue 2

Abstract

The corporate vision of a proposed Interlune-Intermars Initiative encompasses commercial enterprises related to resources from space that support the preservation of the human species and our home planet. Within this vision, the major mission objectives of the Initiative are to provide investors with a competitive rate of return; protect the Earth's environment and expand the well-being of its inhabitants by using energy from space, particularly lunar 3He, as a major alternative to fossil and fission fuels; develop resources from space that will support future near-Earth and deep-space activities and human settlement; and develop reliable and robust capabilities to launch payloads from Earth to deep space at a cost of $1,000/kg or less (1996 dollars). Attaining a level of sustaining operations for the core fusion power and lunar resource business of the Initiative requires about 15 years and 10–$15 billion of private investment capital as well as the successful marketing and profitable sales of a variety of applied fusion technologies.

Get full access to this article

View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.

References

1.
Alvarez, L. W., Alvarez, W., Asaro, F., and Michel, H. V.(1980). “Extraterrestrial cause for the cretaceous-tertiary extinction.”Sci., 208, 1095–1105.
2.
Bilder, R. B., Cameron, E. N., Kulcinski, G. L., and Schmitt, H. H. (1989). “Legal regimes for the mining of helium-3 from the moon.”Rep. No. WCSAR-TR-AR3-8901-1, Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics.
3.
Bussard, R. W.(1991). “Some physics considerations of magnetic inertial-electrostatic confinement: A new concept for spherical converging-flow fusion.”Fusion Technol., 19, 273.
4.
Cygan, R. T., Crossey, L. J., and Marin, L. E. (1996). Researchers focus on earth's response to hypervelocity impacts. EOS-E SD Associates Inc., Rome, N.Y.
5.
Dickens, C. (1982). “A Christmas carol.”Great works of Charles Dickens, Chatham River Press, New York, 533–585.
6.
DOE. (1995). “International energy outlook—1995.”DOE/EIA-0484(95), U.S. Energy Information Admin., DOE, Washington, D.C.
7.
“INTERLUNE-ONE: a mission across the surface of the Moon.” (1994). Proposal to the NASA Discovery Program, Univ. of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wis.
8.
Kargel, J. S.(1994). “Metalliferous asteroids as potential sources of precious metals.”J. Geophys. Res., 99, 21129–21141.
9.
Kulcinski, G. L. (1993). “History of research on 3He fusion.”Proc., 2nd Wis. Symp. on Helium-3 and Fusion Power; WCSAR-TR-AR3-9307-3, Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics.
10.
Kulcinski, G. L. (1996). “Near term commercial opportunities from long range fusion research.”Proc., 12th Topical Meeting on the Technol. of Fusion Power; UWFDM-1025.
11.
Kulcinski, G. L., and Schmitt, H. H.(1992). “Fusion power from lunar resources.”Fusion Technol., 21, 2221.
12.
Lewis, J. S., and Hutson, M. L. (1993). “Asteroidal resource opportunities suggested by meteorite data.”Resources of near-earth space, University of Arizona Press, Tucson, Ariz., 523–542.
13.
Morrison, D. (ed.) (1992). “The spaceguard survey.”Rep. of the NASA Int. Near-Earth-Object Detection Workshop, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
14.
Nicogossian, A. E., Leach-Huntoon, C. L., and Pool, S. L. (eds.) (1994). Space Physiology and Medicine. Lea & Febiger.
15.
“Resources from space.” (1996). Rep., Nuclear Engrg. and Engrg. Phys. Dept., URL: http://elvis.neep.wisc.edu/∼neep602/neep602.html
16.
Schmitt, H. H. (1986). “Lunar base network activation scenario.”Final Rep. Lunar Power Sys., P 2-1, to 1-43; NASA-JSC Contract NAS9-17359.
17.
Schmitt, H. H.(1990). “A biomedical trip to the moon and beyond.”J. Clinical Pharmacology, 31, 928–929.
18.
Schmitt, H. H. (1992). “The real world and lunar base activation scenarios.”Proc., 2nd Conf., Lunar Bases and Space Activities of the 21st Century, NASA Conference Publication 3166, W. W. Mendell, ed., 667–672.
19.
Schmitt, H. H.(1992). “Spiral mining for lunar volatiles.”Engineering, construction, and operations in space III (SPACE 92), W. Z. Sadeh, ed., 1, 1162–1170.
20.
Schmitt, H. H.(1994a). “Lunar industrialization.”J. British Interplanetary Soc., 47, 527–530.
21.
Schmitt, H. H.(1994b). “Earth and moon: One environmental system.”Geotimes, 39, 5.
22.
Schmitt, H. H., and Reid, D. J. (1985). “Anecdotal information on Space adaptation syndrome.”Rep., USRA Div. Space Biomedicine and Lovelace Medical Found.
23.
Sviatoslavsky, I. N. (1988). “Mobile 3He mining and extraction systems and their benefits toward lunar base self-sufficiency.”Proc., Space 88.
24.
Thompson, H. E. (1993). “Cost of 3He from the moon.”Proc., 2nd Wis. Symp. on Helium-3 and Fusion Power; WCSAR-TR-AR3-9307-3.
25.
“Tunnel links Britain and France.”1995 Britannica book of the year, Encyclopedia Britannica, Chicago, Ill.
26.
Wittenberg, L. J., Santarius, J. F., and Kulcinski, G. L. (1986). “Lunar source of 3He for commercial fusion power.”Fusion Technol. 10, 167.

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 10Issue 2April 1997
Pages: 60 - 67

History

Published online: Apr 1, 1997
Published in print: Apr 1997

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Authors

Affiliations

Harrison H. Schmitt
Adjunct Prof. of Engrg., Univ. of Wisconsin, Dept. of Nuclear Engrg. and Engrg. Phys., 439 Engrg. Res. Build., 1500 Engineering Dr., Madison, WI 53706-1687.

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Citations

Download citation

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

Cited by

View Options

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Copy the content Link

Share with email

Email a colleague

Share