Hacker News

points by exe34 3 days ago | 0 comments

There are other sources of energy. With helium, once it's gone, there's nothing to replace it.

Well, there is; you can just wait for more helium to be produced underground. That's the same method that provided the helium we have now.

[–] throw0101a 3 days ago

> Well, there is; you can just wait for more helium to be produced underground.

Funnily enough that seems to be the same idea for petroleum. :)

[–] liamwire 3 days ago

I have to ask: why the two accounts/alts with almost identical handles? Even if I suspect you’ll assert there’s no reason for me to assume you’re the same person as the GP.

[–] exe34 3 days ago

The waiting list for your mri is going to be very long.

[–] wongarsu 3 days ago

Jupiter's atmosphere is about 25% helium. And then there's the other gas giants, and the sun itself (also about a quarter helium)

We risk running out of cheap helium. But if you are willing to pay infinite money there is near-infinite helium

[–] A_D_E_P_T 3 days ago

Right now, even with infinite money, you have no way to extract helium from Jupiter and return it to Earth. (To say nothing of the Sun!)

Maybe with a couple hundred more years of technological development...

Our moon itself is said to have ~1M tons of very valuable Helium-3 in surface deposits, but even that's nigh impossible to harvest commercially right now.

[–] exe34 3 days ago

The rocket equation is a very harsh mistress.