Reply To: EmDrive + Focus Fusion = Space Access for all?

[Brian H]

Tulse wrote:

The element produced is He3. It could be used for dirigibles

Fusion-powered zeppelins that never need refilling — awesome!

Yes, but it’s He4. He3 is very rare, and would be another aneutronic fuel candidate. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aneutronic_fusion
But

The pure 3He reaction suffers from a fuel-availability problem. 3He occurs naturally on the Earth in only minuscule amounts, so it would either have to be bred from reactions involving neutrons (counteracting the potential advantage of aneutronic fusion), or mined from extraterrestrial bodies. The top several meters of the surface of the Moon is relatively rich in 3He, on the order of 0.01 parts per million by weight[1], but mining this resource and returning it to Earth would be very difficult and expensive. 3He could in principle be recovered from the atmospheres of the gas giant planets, but this would be even more challenging.