"8. Launch industry
If the moon has harvestable ice (and that's by no means certain), then it could prove very useful as a propellant source. I wouldn't put propellant production facilities on the Moon, though, because you're starting at the bottom of a gravity well. I'd prefer the ice be sent to Earth orbit and processed there."
How would you send the ice to Earth orbit, unless you have a fuel production facility on lunar surface?
I suppose you mean produce rocket fuel on lunar surface, but mostly ship ice because: 1) It's easier to ship water because LH&LOX requires crygenic storage and requires bigger storage containers (water is denser than both it's LH and LOX). 2) the cost of electrical power could be cheaper in Earth orbit than compared to the Lunar surface.
And, what do you mean by Earth orbit: LEO, GEO, and/or did you mean to include Earth/Moon L1 as part of Earth orbit?
How much would you imagine that lunar ice sell for in Earth orbit- how would it compete against ice shipped from Earth? In a free market, the added cost of shipping water from the Moon should mean that lunar water at the lunar surface should cost less than compared to more distace locations which require added time and energy.
One aspect of water vs LH&LOX is that unless you have a big production facility it will take some time to make sizable quantities of rocket fuel. The moon could offer an easier way of storing LH&LOX until such as time as it required, it also allows a means of getting emergency power- if for whatever reason your power generator needs to go off line or there is a surge of additional power needed for your mining operation.
Space/Science » in reply to Seems like a pretty weak list of reasons
re: Seems like a pretty weak list of reasons
The whole thread (24 posts)
- 10 reasons
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- Seems like a pretty weak list of reasons
- 10 + reasons
- re: A return to the Moon: 10 reasons
