Resources

The excavator will be integrated with three other key systems to form the Interlune Harvester

Astronomy

Plan to harvest helium-3 from lunar surface reaches prototyping milestone

A US startup is looking to our closest satellite to fill a resources gap here on Earth. Interlune and partner Vermeer have revealed a full-scale excavator prototype that forms a key component of its lunar resource Harvester.

Environment

Is working hard bad for the environment?

In a welcome sacrifice for the good of the planet, a UN International Resource Panel study found that saving the environment may require people work fewer hours in the future. A growing middle class has led to a rapid pace of raw material extraction around the globe.

Snap of Google Earth U.S. geothermal resource map based on SMU research

Environment

Research unveils extensive U.S. geothermal resources

New research reveals U.S. geothermal potential greater than previously thought

View northeast across the north rim of Cabeus crater (Image: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University)

Science

Much more than water found on the moon

New data has revealed that the lunar soil within shadowy craters is rich in useful materials, and that the moon is chemically active and has a water cycle.

Can the Earth sustain 9 billion people? We'll find out in the next 50 years.

Environment

Four crucial resources that may run out in your lifetime

We're already stretching many of our natural resources to their limits, and the world's population will jump by around 2.5 billion over the next 50 years. Here are four resources heading for a catastrophic squeeze within our lifetime.