Includes bibliographical references.

Preface: Energy resources for human settlement in the solar system and earth's future in space / William A. Ambrose, James F. Reilly II, and Douglas C. Peters -- 1. The significance of lunar water ice and other mineral resources for rocket propellants and human settlement of the moon / William A. Ambrose -- 2. Lunar helium-3 energy resources / Harrison H. Schmitt -- 3. Mining of helium-3 on the moon : resource, technology, and commerciality--a business perspective / Dieter Beike -- 4. The near-earth asteroids on the pathway to earth's future in space / Bruce L. Cutright -- 5. Hydrocarbon system analysis for methane hydrate exploration on Mars / Michael D. Max, Stephen M. Clifford, and Arthur H. Johnson -- 6. Remote sensing of hydrocarbons on Titan / John M. Curchin and Roger N. Clark -- 7. Avoiding extraterrestrial claim jumping : economic development policy for space exploration and exploitation / James F. Reilly II -- 8. The sun-moon-earth solar-electric power system to enable unlimited human prosperity / David R. Criswell -- 9. Nuclear power and associated environmental issues in the transition of exploration and mining on earth to the development of off-world natural resources in the 21st century / Michael D. Campbell, Jeffrey D. King, Henry M. Wise, Bruce Handley, James L. Conca, and M. David Campbell.

The book's purpose is to provide the quantitative foundation for beginning to think about developing energy and minerals outside of Earth's atmosphere that are necessary to support scientific missions, space and extra-terrestrial scientific stations and permanent colonies, and ultimately expand Earth's economy beyond the near-earth environment to include space resources. We cannot envision a situation where all resources required for future space activities are exported from Earth, therefore, this book clearly illustrates that an effective economy is possible beyond Earth's surface when we consider the resources available in near-Earth space. Our first audience is members of AAPG, American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers (AIME) and other professionals engaged in energy and resource development. As energy professionals, we are concerned on a daily basis with providing the necessary energy and minerals required for our growing world population and the increasing standard of living that comes with ample energy availability. And more than anything else, AAPG members are explorers. We are the professionals who have pushed back the boundaries of our resource base, from capturing petroleum resources from surface seeps, to drilling onshore wells to extract oil and gas, and to venturing offshore into increasingly difficult and hostile environments to supply the cheap and abundant energy made available by our advances in technology. There are more similarities than differences between deepwater exploration and development, and space exploration. Beyond our own members, however, our audience is every rational human being who understands human health and well-being, quality of life, education and freedom are dependent on the energy and minerals that support our advanced civilization. Space is the next frontier, and as the world civilization expands beyond Earth's surface we hope this publication serves to illustrate there are abundant opportunities to support and maintain - and in fact, allow to prosper - civilization's expansion into space -- Publisher's website.