Is There Life On Other Planets?

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Is There Life On Other Planets?

NASA's Martian rover, Curiosity, has not detected anything to confirm possible life on Mars. What does the Bible tell us of the possibility of life on other planets?

[Darris McNeely] One of the oldest and most challenging questions that scientists have had in recent years: Is there life on other planets? All kinds of experiments and observations have taken place and continue to go on to answer this critical question. Are there other forms of life on any other planet besides what we know here on Earth?

There has been on the planet of Mars just within the last year or so a rover sent there by NASA called Curiosity, and it has been taking samples of soil and the atmosphere on the planet Mars in order to again learn more about the planet, but also to continue searching for an answer to this particular question. Now because of the presence, they thought, of certain levels of a particular gas, methane gas, which to them could indicate the presence of some type of microbial life on Mars, scientists were hopeful in recent weeks that the Curiosity rover would gain some detectable evidence of high levels of methane gas, which then would lead them to again perhaps a further conclusions or proof or closer to proof that perhaps some type of life was there because methane gas is normally given off by decaying bacteria or vegetation.

Well, just recently the rover's results that have come back to the scientists have indicated that the levels of methane gas to indicate any form of life there are pretty much not there. There's just not the level of gas there to indicate any type of life and no other means by which to determine this. So they're disappointed on that particular part of the discovery of what has taken place on Mars with this rover in recent days.

So, again, we're still asking the question, they are: Is there life on other planets? It's an interesting question. It will continue to fascinate scientists.

There is perhaps a bit of an indication in the Bible that might help us to understand and answer, to come to an answer, on this because as we understand what the Bible tells us about God and the creation and the unique creation of life on this Earth as God has created it. The Bible doesn't tell us everything scientifically that we would like to know. That it seems to be is left for science to discover. But what the Bible does tell us sometimes gives us indications of perhaps what the ultimate answer even to a question like this might be.

In Isaiah 45:18For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

See All... it says this from God, "For thus says the Lord who created the heavens, who is God, who formed the Earth and made it." Again a direct statement corroborated by Genesis 1:1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

See All... that God formed the Earth and He made this planet. He's made all the other planets too, but this is the one that has life as we know it. "Who established it, who did not create it in vain, who," this God, "formed it to be inhabited."

Did you catch that? God formed Earth to be inhabited. Isaiah 45:18For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

See All.... Could it be that this is God telling us that this planet, this one planet Earth has been formed to be inhabited by life and especially the highest form of life created by God in His creation of man? And so if we were to take that, then it's a step toward understanding what the Bible does eventually tell us and reveal very clearly as to the purpose of all life and especially human life created in the image of God.

The Bible does give us certain answers, and it's those answers that we can cling to as a foundation to understand and begin to reason our way toward other answers to other questions that in a sense are eternally there.

That's BT Daily . Join us next time.

Extraterrestrial Life: What Does the Bible Say?

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Extraterrestrial Life: What Does the Bible Say?

article by David Treybig





Humans have long searched the heavens for signs of other life. Is there life out there? Is there a way to know for sure?







Most of the world is markedly ignorant of the extraterrestrial life to which the pages of the Bible so abundantly testify.



Source: Photos.comHumanity is fascinated with the concept of extraterrestrial life. Many wonder if intelligent life residing somewhere else in the universe is busy watching us develop. We want to know who we are and if there is anything (or anyone) else out there that resembles us.



Interest in contact with aliens is not just the grist of science fiction but a real-life passion for many devoted to the search for other life forms. When a job transfer put me near Roswell, New Mexico, I soon learned of July 4, 1947, the date of an alleged crash landing of an alien ship a few miles northwest of the city. The next day's newspaper reported that the commander of the nearby U.S. Army base confirmed that a "flying saucer" had indeed crashed into the desert the previous evening.



Rumors circulated that on board the craft had been aliens who had died in the crash. On the second day, however, the commander said the crash was simply a downed weather balloon.



Another report, released in June 1997, just days before the 50th-anniversary extravaganza staged by local residents, said that what some thought had been dead aliens were only test dummies.



The search for life

Of course, man's curiosity has not been limited to stories about flying saucers. Reporting on a radio-telescope project, an article in U.S. News & World Report said recently: "In 1960, Project Ozma in West Virginia began its quest to detect alien radio signals. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration committed $100 million to a formal mission-the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence-but so far, no word has come from out there" (Victoria Pope, "Is There Life on Other Planets?," August 25, 1997).



The article also stated: "Space exploration hasn't turned up life, either. When NASA's Viking landers examined Mars two decades ago, they found a dry, sterile environment. Venus was a blazing inferno. It was only the images from the Galileo spacecraft that raised a slight hope of finding suitable conditions for life elsewhere in our solar system: Jupiter's moon Europa appeared to have an ocean of liquid water covered with pack ice."



More recently NASA's Pathfinder has sent back pictures of Mars that show a rocky desert terrain devoid of any surface vegetation or other signs of life. Now attention is turning to what might be below the surface of the red planet. Scientists wonder whether they should be looking for types of microbes similar to ones on earth that can live in extreme conditions such as searing heat, salt and high pressure.



An alleged martian meteorite recovered in Antarctica containing microscopic wormlike structures generates more questions. Are these structures fossils of earthlike bacteria? Are they just the result of mineral or geologic processes that didn't involve life-forms? Is it possible that life like ours once began on Mars, only to die out later?



Although new possibilities and questions continue to arise as quickly as old ones are rejected, one simple fact remains: We have no scientific evidence of intelligent life beyond this planet.



Comparing science and the Bible

Missing in this discussion is information that has been disallowed by the scientific method, which discards any information that cannot be verified or disproved by observation or experimentation.



That missing information is found in the Bible. The scientific approach generally leads to rejection of biblical facts and statements about other intelligent life, because science cannot prove those statements. This isn't necessarily the fault of science; it simply is the way the scientific discipline was established and functions. Of course, we can rely on something science has proven. But, like most things, even science has its limitations.



When the Bible reveals something of a spiritual nature, such information is often beyond the level of science. Science is often incapable of proving or disproving what is stated. The Bible describes this kind of information as revealed knowledge, or knowledge we cannot discover through human effort alone.



An interesting example of this is found in Matthew 16. Here, Jesus asked His disciples what people were saying about Him. The answers varied. Then He asked: "'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven'" (Matthew 16:15-17 [15] He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

[16] And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

[17] And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.





See All...).



Understanding Jesus Christ's identity as the Son of God is not scientific; it is not in the flesh-and-blood realm, proven through a microscope or telescope. This kind of knowledge is beyond science. In His conversation with Peter, Jesus affirmed that only God reveals this kind of knowledge. This revealed knowledge is the missing component in man's desire to understand his place in the universe. Without it, man will forever be left with a string of unanswered questions and endless possibilities.



Of course, not all who claim revealed knowledge actually have it. Occasionally we learn of cultlike small groups that claim to have secret knowledge of the unknown. When tragedy results, like the recent mass suicide of the Heaven's Gate group near San Diego, many are inclined to dismiss all revealed knowledge.



The difference between these groups and the Bible is the source of their information. Even large, long-established religious assemblies have shown their inadequacies in interpreting and explaining the Bible and attempting to represent God's revealed will. All groups have fallible human leaders, while the Bible contains the very words of God Himself. As 2 Timothy 3:16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:



See All... tells us, "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God." Its authority is unassailable, whereas speculation of individuals remains just that-speculation.



The Bible has answers

So what can we learn from Scripture about extraterrestrial life and man's place in the universe? The Bible reveals that there is extraterrestrial intelligent life, but not as many suppose. The Bible does not speak of aliens who live on other planets, but it does speak of a Spirit Being who "inhabits eternity" (Isaiah 57:15For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.



See All...).



The Bible is silent about extraterrestrial life-forms as popularized in science fiction and the entertainment media, yet it is by no means silent about real extraterrestrial life in all its great abundance. The beings spoken of in the Bible are real. They have appeared and spoken directly to humans (Genesis 3:9-10 [9] And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

[10] And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.





See All...; 4:9; 16:9). The Bible records the existence of many millions of angelic beings (Revelation 5:11And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;



See All...) who are "ministering spirits" to mankind in fulfillment of God's purpose (Hebrews 1:13-14 [13] But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?

[14] Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?





See All...).



The first verse of the Bible introduces us to the ultimate Spirit Being: God. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.



See All...). It presents two pieces of revealed knowledge beyond the realm of science. The first is the existence of God. The second is found in the word created, a translation of the Hebrew word bara.



"This verb is of profound theological significance, since it has only God as its subject. Only God can 'create' in the sense implied by bara. The verb expresses creation out of nothing, an idea seen clearly in passages having to do with creation on a cosmic scale..." ( Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, "Create").



The concept of bringing the universe into existence from nothing is completely outside the parameters of scientific observation and experimentation. Science tells us a great deal about matter that already exists. It tells us that matter can change shapes and form. But science cannot account for the appearance of something that previously did not exist. It can only theorize about possible explanations for how everything we see around us came to exist from nothing.



We see this even in the various theories for the evolution of life into the myriad forms we see today-all start by assuming that matter already existed.



The Bible vs. evolution

In the face of this fundamental deficiency, some have tried to blend revealed knowledge with scientific theory in what is known as theistic evolution, or a belief that God made matter and then allowed evolution to shape life. In a monumental announcement the Roman Catholic Church recently agreed that life as we know it may have come about in this way.



Theistic evolution, however, is not the simple bridge between the spiritual and the physical worlds many would like. There are simply too many conflicts. The Bible, for example, reveals that God formed Adam from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.



See All...), not by evolutionary happenstance.



Scientific limitations aside, the apostle Paul said, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (Romans 1:20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:



See All..., New International Version).



Science acknowledges that we live on planet Earth, but in rejecting revealed knowledge it can provide no absolutes about how our world came to be. In contrast, Paul said this beautiful planet, with its many sophisticated, interwoven relationships among its intricate array of life-forms, is testimony to God's existence.



The Bible further says, "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God'" (Psalm 14:1(To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.



See All...; 53:1). Why would anyone reject revealed knowledge simply because it did not meet humanly imposed limitations? Paul, speaking of man's moral decline, explains: "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:21-22 [21] Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

[21] Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

[22] Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

[22] Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,





See All..., NIV).



Mankind desperately needs the revealed knowledge that only the Bible can provide. Through the pages of this divinely inspired book, we learn not only about extraterrestrial intelligent life (God and the angelic realm), but how this planet and we humans came to be-and what God has in store as our ultimate destiny.



A scientist's last words

The late Carl Sagan was respected worldwide as one of this century's greatest scientists. His many credentials included his tenure as the David Duncan professor of astronomy and space sciences and director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies at Cornell University. He also wrote 30 books and served as an adviser to NASA on the Mariner , Voyager and Viking unmanned space missions.



Before dying from a rare disease in December 1996, he penned these words: "Six times now have I looked Death in the face. And six times Death has averted his gaze and let me pass. Eventually, of course, Death will claim me-as he does each of us. It's only a question of when. And how.



"I've learned much from our confrontations-especially about the beauty and sweet poignancy of life, about the preciousness of friends and family, and about the transforming power of love...



"I would love to believe that when I die I will live again, that some thinking, feeling, remembering part of me will continue. But as much as I want to believe that, and despite the ancient and worldwide cultural traditions that assert an afterlife, I know of nothing to suggest that it is more than wishful thinking" ( Billions & Billions, Random House, New York, 1997, p. 214).



Although he excelled in scientific endeavors as few others have ever done, Sagan's otherwise expansive outlook was in many ways shackled by the scientific method to which he had devoted his life. This remarkable man had not come to trust in the revealed knowledge of the Bible-promises that human beings can eventually "be like" their Creator (1 John 3:1-2 [1] Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

[2] Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.





See All...) and take on His "divine nature" (2 Peter 1:2-4 [2] Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

[3] According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

[4] Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.





See All...).



From the outset the Bible describes man as created "in the image of God" (Genesis 1:27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.



See All...). The profound ramifications of this concept are discussed and described throughout the rest of the Bible.



Whether human beings understand these things or not, the Bible promises that "the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken" (Isaiah 40:5And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.



See All..., NIV). In due time this will come to pass. The Good News is dedicated to sharing this revealed knowledge found within the Bible.



The Bible is silent about extraterrestrial life, as it is popularly conceived, in other parts of the universe. At the same time, most of the world is markedly ignorant of the extraterrestrial life to which the pages of the Bible so abundantly testify. Mankind is also largely ignorant of the incredible future potential God has in store for human beings "out there."



There is indeed life out there-and your destiny is to become part of it if you so choose! GN

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In the News: Asteroid Close Shave

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In the News: Asteroid Close Shave






article by Amanda Stiver





Experts predict that on February 15, 2013, a near-earth asteroid called DA14 will make an uncomfortably close pass by us.



NASA has predicted it will come within about 12,680 miles, somewhat closer than some man-made satellites, but further out than others like the International Space Station, which orbits at just 240 miles up (Mike Wall, "Mid-Size Asteroid Won't Hit Earth in 2013: NASA," MSNBC.com, Mar. 6, 2012).



This event has caused concern for some and predictions of catastrophic impact. Yet right now it seems nothing will happen. Still, we should realize that the Bible does indicate coming meteoric and other devastation in the book of Revelation. We don't know exactly when it will happen though—but many signs point to our now living in the end time (see our free booklet  Are We Living in the Time of the End?  ). In any case, despite coming calamity at some point, humanity and the earth will survive. For more perspective on this, be sure to read our lead article, "The End of the World: Is It Real, and If So, What Can You Do About It?"

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In the News: Extraterrestrial Letdown

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In the News: Extraterrestrial Letdown


article by Amanda Stiver





New analysis from Harvard University lends support to the long-held conclusion of many that no extraterrestrial life exists in the universe.







Source: Shaun VenishA top astrophysicist explained that no other planet of the 500 or so analyzed has the stability in temperatures to allow life, as we know it on earth, to exist.



Other scientists, however, continue to search for the possibility of extraterrestrial life (Heidi Blake, "Alien Life Deemed Impossible by Analysis of 500 Planets," Telegraph.co.uk, Jan. 23, 2011).



What does the Bible say about aliens from other planets? God made the heavens and the earth, and that incredible process is described in the book of Genesis and referred to in other parts of the Bible. Nowhere does it say that God created another habitable planet at this time. However, God has promised "the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven … to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage" (Deuteronomy:4:19And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.). You see, God made the earth and the human beings that inhabit it for a special purpose: to eventually inherit the whole universe as His eternal, divine family of spiritual children. That is our destiny! (See our free booklet What Is Your Destiny? to learn more.)

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Moon Race Redux

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Moon Race Redux


article by Cecil Maranville





Many nations are committing fortunes to reach the moon! You may be surprised to learn which countries are in the race—and even more surprised by what they seek. Scientists are calling it the perfect fuel, saying it will change the world as we know it.



King David marveled at the solar system he could see from earth. He wrote in Psalm 19:



"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.



"In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat" (verses 1-6).



The sun has been "saying" something that the world didn't "hear" until 1985. And humankind is only now gearing up to do something about it.



The sun is beautiful, magnificent, awe-inspiring—and it is streaming a rare element into the moon's dust that may well change our world forever.



Fifty years have passed since the United States responded to the Russian Sputnik with a successful American satellite launch in early 1958. The race for space that followed is now a subject for history. Likely, the Tom Hanks movie Apollo 13 about the aborted lunar mission informs more people than textbooks do about this bygone era.



First moon race, a contest between ideologies



Why did America go to the moon? At the time, there was a fierce Cold War competition between the United States and Soviet Union over virtually every issue possible. The moon race was a proxy contest between capitalism and communism; the free world and the shadowy world behind the iron curtain.



On May 25, 1961, U.S. President John F. Kennedy spoke before a specially convened joint session of Congress to deliver what he called an extraordinary State of the Union speech.



Noting that this speech is traditionally given only once a year, President Kennedy asserted that the nation was in an extraordinary time, which called for dramatic action. Citing the Soviet achievement of its Sputnik launch four years before, he ignited the vision of America with these words:



"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish."



He framed America's motivation: "If we are to win the battle that is now going on around the world between freedom and tyranny, the dramatic achievements in space which occurred in recent weeks should have made clear to us all, as did the Sputnik in 1957, the impact of this adventure on the minds of men everywhere, who are attempting to make a determination of which road they should take."



Thus, the moon race was an economic and technological competition between the world's superpowers. The American president defined it as necessary to help humankind choose "freedom over tyranny," implying that the winner of the race would literally shape the political structure of the world.



America, of course, won, placing men on the moon as Kennedy proposed, before the decade was out on July 21, 1969. Yet, I know of no developing nations that subsequently chose democracy over communism because of America's victory.



The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) boasts of many now everyday technological advances that the space program made possible. "Every day, in a variety of ways, American lives are touched by space technology. Since 1976, over 1,500 documented NASA technologies have benefited U.S. industry, improved the quality of life, and created jobs. The Apollo program has helped change the way of life in America" (www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/).



Critics of the program argue that it's an incredibly expensive way to conduct research and development! These technological advances could have been discovered for a fraction of the hundreds of billions of dollars through which the U.S. space program has burned.



Why the United States is going again



So why is a new race to the moon underway? NASA is soon to dust off its Apollo series technology to return to the moon. In January 2004, President George W. Bush announced a renewed American commitment to space exploration, including returning to the moon.



Citing "a spirit of discovery" as motivation, he also pointed to technological spin-offs from past NASA work: "The exploration of space has led to advances in weather forecasting, in communications, in computing, search and rescue technology, robotics, and electronics.



"Our investment in space exploration helped to create our satellite telecommunications network and the Global Positioning System. Medical technologies that help prolong life—such as the imaging processing used in CAT scanners and MRI machines—trace their origins to technology engineered for the use in space."



Soviet communism aged, corroded and collapsed, outspent by the American capitalist juggernaut. The Soviet Union broke apart in the 1990s, but in recent years Russia has reemerged as a world economic power. It is diverting some of its newfound wealth into its space program. Russia, too, is returning to the moon.



Is history repeating itself? Is Russia out to settle an old score with the United States to see which power can outdo the other? No, this is a different world altogether from the Cold War era.



Illustrative of the change is the fact that China is a top-tier player. While unquestionably far behind American space technology, China has come incredibly far from 1957 when Chairman Mao complained in uncustomary frankness "that China was so underdeveloped that it couldn't even put a potato into space"! (Fred Guteri, "Race to the Moon," Newsweek, Oct. 11, 2007).



China actually already sent a probe to the moon in November 2007. It plans to land a rover there by 2012 and to conduct soil sampling by 2017. There are rumors of a possible manned landing by 2020.



It's a crowded field—and a rush for the "gold"



But there are still more nations headed to the moon. The names may surprise you: India (probe to launch in March this year; joint mission with Russia to put rover on moon by 2011; study mineral resources, 2012-2015; considering a manned mission to follow); Japan and Germany considering individual moon probes around 2010; South Korea (probe by 2015; orbiter by 2020).



Moreover, several of these nations are partnering with other nations, such as Brazil, France, Ukraine, Canada and, not surprisingly, the European Union.



Why? What's the big draw? Are all nations suddenly bitten by the discovery bug? Why would they duplicate what each other is doing? Within President Bush's 2004 speech lays a possible reason. Almost incidentally, he mentioned: "Also, the moon is home to abundant resources."



That's an understatement. There's a modern "gold rush" developing as nations pack their lunar mining tools. Only, it's not gold they're after, it's helium, specifically the isotope helium-3 (He3). It's all about meeting the energy needs of the earth.



This all stems from lunar soil sample #75501, collected by geologist astronaut Harrison Schmitt on Dec. 13, 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission. Thirteen years later, engineers at the University of Wisconsin discovered significant quantities of helium-3 in that sample. Helium-3 is relatively plentiful in lunar soil, in contrast to only small amounts on earth.



Lest I lose you at this point, I want to jump ahead to the potential commercial value of helium-3. Russian space geologist Erik Galimov summed it up by acknowledging that the nation that colonizes the moon will "put the rest of the world in its knees as hydrocarbons run out" (Izvestia, quoted by John Lasker, "Race to the Moon for Nuclear Fuel," wired.com, Dec. 15, 2006, emphasis added).



The unbelievable potential of helium-3



Consider these facts:



• Supporters call helium-3 the perfect fuel, with enormous commercial and national defense potential.



• Harrison Schmitt estimates that a single space shuttle load of helium-3 (approximately 25 tons) could supply the entire energy needs of the United States for a year.



• Scientists estimate the moon has about 1 million tons of helium-3, enough to power the world for 1,000 years!



• Just the Sea of Tranquility (site of Apollo 17's landing) holds enough helium-3 to power the world for hundreds of years.



• The nuclear reaction involved with turning helium-3 into electrical power is so clean a process that a helium-3 plant could theoretically be built in the middle of a big city.



• Helium-3 is worth approximately $40,000 per ounce.



• Compared with the energy from oil, helium-3's potential value is $4 billion a ton (Julie Wakefield, "Researchers and Space Enthusiasts See Helium-3 as the Perfect Fuel Source," SPACE.com, June 30, 2000).



A gift from God?



The source of helium-3 takes us back to Psalm 19's praise to the Creator for the awesome star He made for our solar system. The sun is constantly pumping out enormous quantities of helium, which solar winds carry toward earth. Only a small part of this is helium-3, and earth's magnetic field pushes it away.



But the moon does not repel the isotope. Consequently, God's creation has been bombarding the moon for perhaps billions of years with helium-3. Meteor strikes stir the helium-3 and drive it deep into the dust and rock of the lunar surface, where it waits for those who would mine it.



As exciting as this all sounds, it won't be easy. Even the supporters of developing power from helium-3 say that a viable process is still decades away. Detractors doubt that it's even possible. If all goes well, Harrison Schmitt admits it will take a million tons of lunar soil, heated to 1470 degrees Fahrenheit to liberate and harvest 70 tons of helium-3.



That's why the nations in the race are planning not just to reach the moon, but also to establish bases there from which mining operations could be handled.



And, as far off as success of this project might be, the world's wealthiest nations are literally pouring billions upon billions of dollars into the race to be among those to win the prize of helium-3.



If God allows this world to continue for decades, the nation or nations to reach and develop the moon's resources will dominate the world. But maybe God has provided this seemingly marvelous clean source of power for the world to come, the Kingdom that Christ will establish on this earth. WNP