Wendy Zukerman

So to get this helium-3 working, we're going to need to crack nuclear fusion, and we have not cracked that yet.

I feel like because fusion sounds like fission, you're like, well, you just need to change the I for a U. This is easy.

But it's actually like completely different technology.

Yeah, that's quite a change of a letter.

It takes a lot of work.

And sure, it's possible that some countries are interested in this because they want to stake their claim on helium-3, like just in case it's useful someday and we can crack nuclear fusion.

But I asked Angel.

So if someone said to you, say someone big in the White House who has a massive checkbook and was like, I want to go to the moon for this helium-3, what would you tell them?

that we can use that money for something else at the moment.

Right.

So for now, stripping the moon for parts to use back on Earth, it's not making a lot of sense.

And it is kind of feeling like going back to the moon is more for international bragging rights.

But what about this idea that popping back up to the moon could help us get to Mars?

that perhaps the moon could be some kind of launching pad that could catapult us into the rest of the solar system.

And this idea seems to be what got President Trump on board with the moon several years ago.

So do we really need to do the moon to do Mars?

That answer after the break.

Plus, we'll find out why going to the moon might help us reveal secrets about the universe.

Like why you, me and everything we know exists at all.

Welcome back.