ISRO trillion dollar mission - the search for waste-free nuclear fuel on moon

Mining waste-free nuclear energy source is on ISRO’s platter as it attempts to dig the potential that could be worth trillions of dollars.

In view of it, ISRO plans to launch a rover in October to look for signs of water and helium-3 in untouched moon surface. The presence of helium-3 was confirmed in moon samples returned by the Apollo missions.

"It is thought that this isotope could provide safer nuclear energy in a fusion reactor, since it is not radioactive and would not produce dangerous waste products," the European Space Agency said.

This new moon mission would strengthen India's space program and its place among the elite space explorers for scientific, commercial or military gains.

"We are ready and waiting," said ISRO chairman K Sivan, according to reports.

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The Chandrayaan-1 craft, launched in October 2008, made over 3,400 orbits that led to the finding of molecules of water in the moon surface for the first time.

Now, the launch of the Chandrayaan-2, six-wheeled vehicle, powered by solar energy, includes an orbiter, lander and a rectangular rover that will be on orbit for 14 days and cover an area with a 400-meter radius. The rover will send images to the lander, and the lander will transmit those back to ISRO for analysis.

So far, China is the only country in the world to place a lander and rover on the moon with its Chang'e 3 mission in 2013.