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The lunar dirt brought back by mankind's first moonwalkers contained an abundance of titanium, platinum and other valuable minerals.

But our satellite also contains a substance that could be of even greater use to civilisation – one that could revolutionise energy production.

It's called helium 3 and has been dumped on the moon in vast quantities by solar winds.

Helium 3 (He-3) is a light, non-radioactive isotope of helium with two protons and one neutron. It is abundant in the moon's soil after being dumped there by solar winds. Two fully-loaded Space Shuttle cargo bay's worth - about 40 tonnes worth - could power the United States for a year at the current rate of energy consumption

Now China is looking to mine the moon for the rare helium isotope that some scientists claim could meet global energy demand far into the future, according to a report in The Times.

Professor Ouyang Ziyuan, the chief scientist of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, recently said, the moon is 'so rich' in helium 3, that this could 'solve humanity's energy demand for around 10,000 years at least.'

Helium 3, scientists argue, could power clean fusion plants. It is nonradioactive and a very little goes a very long way.

For instance, two fully-loaded Space Shuttle cargo bay's worth - about 40 tonnes worth - could power the United States for a year at the current rate of energy consumption. 

An artist's impression of what mining in space.  In this image hot gases are seen flowing through chambers

This would require mining an areas the size of Washington, D.C.

The isotope is so rare on the Earth because our atmosphere and magnetic field prevent any of the solar helium 3 from arriving on the surface.

The moon doesn't have this problem as there is nothing to prevent helium 3 being absorbed by the lunar soil.

Fabrizio Bozzato, a doctoral candidate at the University of Tamkan in Taiwan, recently wrote in World Security Network that helium 3 could be extracted by heating the lunar dust to around 600°C, before bringing it back to the Earth.

The gas, he estimates, has a potential economic value of $3 billion (£1.78 billion) a tonne, making it economically viable to consider mining from the moon.

According to experts in the U.S., the total estimated cost for fusion development, rocket development and starting lunar operations would be about $20 billion (£11.8 billion) over two decades.

While China has expressed an interest, it has yet to outline concrete plans about how it would mine the moon for helium.  

The prospect, however, raises the controversial issue about who owns our satellite.

The United Nations Outer Space Treaty, signed by China, suggests that lunar resources are for all mankind.

China is hoping to someday mine helium 3 from the moon. The scenarios sounds like science fiction, and has been depicted in Hollywood through films such as the 1998 blockbuster Armageddon starring Bruce Willis

Private groups are also interested in using fuel from the moon by possibly water rather than helium 3

However, legal experts claim the language is ambiguous enough to allow for commercial exploitation of the moon.

In a recent paper, Mr Bozzato said: 'China appears determined to make [lunar mining] a reality of tomorrow.

'China maintains its lunar mining would be for the benefit of all humanity,' he added.

'However, given the absence of willful competitors, it is also speculated that the Chinese intend to establish a helium 3 monopoly.'

Private enterprise is also interested in using fuel from the moon – although possibly by extracting water rather than helium 3. 

The Shackleton Energy company envisages providing propellant for missions throughout the solar system using lunar water. 

Some teams vying for the Google Lunar X-Prize also see mining as an ultimate goal of their landers. ESA has also considered using the Moon to help missions farther into the Solar System.

Arguments have also been made for mining Helium-3 from Jupiter, where it is much more abundant – it would need to be given the distances involved. 

Extracting the molecule from Jupiter would also be a less power-hungry process.