China announces triple Moon mining mission to hunt for 'mysterious new energy source'

dailystar.co.uk:

China is planning three new missions to the Moon after discovering a mysterious lunar mineral which become a main energy source in the future.Over the weekend, China's National Space Administration announced it will launch three new lunar orbiters during the next ten years.These will scan the moon for a newly discovered lunar mineral called changesite-(Y), which contains helium-3, a chemical which could be used as a powerful energy source if mined from the Moon. READ NEXT: Weirdest ever Google Maps finds from UFOs to Big FootWith the discovery, China is now the third country in the world to uncover a lunar mineral.

The missions could pave the way for mines on the Moon in future, which would see China harvest the mineral and use it as a source of energy or fuel either on Earth or in space if it turns out to be viable.If so, the race to colonise the Moon could intensify as spacefaring nations battle for control of precious resources.Both NASA and China are already investigating the Moon as a potential site for lunar mining, with the US set to send astronauts to the moon on the Artemis III mission in 2025.Meanwhile, China and Russia have announced plans to build a space station in orbit of the Moon together, after Russia turned down joining NASA's Gateway programme last year.This month, NASA plans to crash a £280m spacecraft into a distant asteroid to see if it's possible to deflect it away from Earth.The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission will crash into the Dimorphos asteroid on September 26.

If successful, it could lead to the creation of a 'planetary defence system' designed to protect Earth from deadly asteroids.