'Chandrayaan could spark lunar land grab'

London, Oct 21 (IANS) India's lunar mission could spark off a land grab on the moon, a British paper speculated Tuesday.

The Chandrayaan satellite signals the "possibility of a race for mineral wealth on the lunar surface", particularly helium-3, The Guardian newspaper reported.

While planet Earth was believed to have only 15 tonnes of helium-3, moon is thought to contain up to five million tonnes.

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The report quoted Udupi Ramachandra Rao, former director of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), as saying the moon might have 'enough [helium-3] to produce energy for 8,000 years'.

The head of China's lunar exploration project told the China Daily in 2006 that 'each year three space shuttle missions could bring enough [helium-3] for all human beings across the world'.

The paper said current ISRO officials are, however, tight-lipped over the prospects of a race for lunar minerals.