This article had me checking it wasn't April 1st again

[billyskank]

Russia Suspects US Plans to Monopolize Fuel from Moon

A new era of international co-operation in space supposedly dawned after the US, Russia and other powers declared their intention to send humans to the moon for the first time since 1972.

But while NASA has lobbied for support from Britain and the European Space Agency, Russia says its offers have been rebuffed.

While the Americans have been either coy or dismissive on the subject, Russia openly says the main purpose of its lunar program is the industrial extraction of helium-3.

While critics dismiss it a 21st-century equivalent of the medieval alchemist’s fruitless quest to turn lead into gold, some scientists say helium-3 could be the answer to the world’s energy woes.

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/05/02/914/

This is the first I've heard of this!? :wtf:

[Kutjara]

1. It sounds a tad looney.

Helium-3 is a putative fuel source for advanced fusion reactors. Unfortunately, nobody really knows how to build such reactors and progress on developing any kind of fusion power at all has been glacially slow. Also, thinking that there's an abundance of Helium-3 on the Moon, in a form that can be readily harvested, is a pretty huge leap of faith. You'd have to grind up a hell of a lot of regolith for a little helium.

I think Russia (and other countries) have legitimate complaints about America's motives in space, but Helium-3 isn't one of them.