Regolith Composition
Since the Apollo missions and samples brought back by astronauts, we know that lunar soil consists of 30% metals (iron, aluminium, magnesium, titanium), 20% silicon and 40% oxygen — everything needed to build solar collectors and much more.
Lunar regolith is a major versatile resource. It can be used to build roads, habitats, and radiation protection structures. The mass required to protect a base from solar radiation particles would represent, from Earth, multiple shuttle launches. Extracted on site, this protection becomes accessible and economical.
Helium-3: the Energy of the Future
An even more promising resource: helium-3 (He-3), completely absent on Earth but present in significant quantities in the regolith. This isotope could fuel nuclear fusion reactors far cleaner than current technologies — without long-lived radioactive waste.
20 tonnes of He-3 would suffice to cover the annual electricity needs of the United States. Estimated lunar reserves could power the entire planet for several millennia. The exploitation of helium-3 is one of the major economic motivations for a permanent lunar presence.
Local Production and Autonomy
Lunar silicon enables the manufacture of photovoltaic cells for orbital generators. Ceramics and glassy products can be obtained by simple fusion of lunar soil. Extracted aluminium can be used for lightweight structures and shields.
The ultimate goal is a fully autonomous base, freed from its dependence on Earth. Every tonne of material produced on site saves the cost of a space launch — several tens of thousands of dollars per kilogram at the time of this project. Autonomy is not just an ideal: it is an economic necessity.
"The Moon holds within its soil the energy and construction resources that will allow humanity to progressively free itself from Earth."
Croquis de recherche
Mineral garden, landing area, manufacturing site and solar panel installation — site plan JPC 1993.