re: NEA and Phobos missions...

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re: NEA and Phobos missions...

Marsby — 8/16/2009 5:02:47 PM (archived)

Why mine solid hydrocarbons on phobos when you have carbon readily available in gas form on Mars? I'd expect water to be easier to mine on Mars as well. Phobos should suffer greater temperature extremes than Mars do to a lack of atmosphere and darker albedo even though it's mean temperature is listed as being similar to Mars'. Don't know what the composition is, but doubt it has water reserves near the surface that are 50% by volume water. A gas phase reaction is a much lower maintenance process much more amenable to remote robotic operation and most solid processing equipment depends on gravity in some aspect. Phobos as a filling station makes very little sense to me, but I have never seen detailed plans of how it would work.

Regards,
Mark

The whole thread (59 posts)

Panel says not enough funds for Mars or the Moon - Jeff F - 8/13/2009 4:57:29 PM
- Thanks To Everyone For A Great Thread - Marsby - 8/21/2009 3:09:01 AM
- Forget the Moon. Forget Mars. - mip - 8/15/2009 4:40:05 PM
  - re: Forget the Moon. Forget Mars. - Baroke Obama - 8/18/2009 4:37:04 AM
  - Forget Lifeless Rocks? - Marsby - 8/16/2009 4:33:15 PM
    - Whats wrong with geology? - Marsbug - 8/17/2009 10:47:42 AM
      - NASA's focus on Exobiology is turning out to be a pact with the devil - Nick Hoffman - 8/18/2009 12:35:30 AM
        
        re: NASA's focus on Exobiology is turning out to be a pact with the devil - Marsbug - 8/18/2009 1:16:26 PM
        
        Nothing Wrong With Geology or Emphasis on Life - Marsby - 8/18/2009 3:09:05 PM
        
        re: Nothing Wrong With Geology or Emphasis on Life - Marsbug - 8/18/2009 3:53:38 PM
        
        That's a Big No On The Resource Issue, Maybe On Life - Marsby - 8/18/2009 4:39:17 PM
        
        ppm?! Those Numbers are near 0.01% - Marsby - 8/18/2009 9:17:56 PM
        
        Ah, I understand where you're coming from now.. - Marsbug - 8/19/2009 10:10:58 AM
        
        True, but It doesn't just apply to colonization - Marsby - 8/19/2009 3:13:09 PM
        
        I agree in principle... - Marsbug - 8/20/2009 10:28:55 AM
        
        Should have Gone Below Marsbug's Post and Clarification - Marsby - 8/18/2009 9:36:07 PM
        
        re: That's a Big No On The Resource Issue, Maybe On Life - Marsbug - 8/18/2009 8:40:22 PM
        
        re: And lets just say they find "life" - Baroke Obama - 8/18/2009 4:32:45 AM
        
        It has already begun - Socrates II - 8/18/2009 1:47:05 PM
        
        Newbies - Marsby - 8/18/2009 2:42:57 PM
        
        Barry D was on HZ? - Socrates II - 8/18/2009 2:48:15 PM
        
        Here You Go - Marsby - 8/18/2009 3:37:57 PM
        
        Yes - Marsby - 8/18/2009 3:14:09 PM
        
        persona non grata - Adam - 8/19/2009 9:20:53 AM
      - This "lifeless rocks" attitude is one reason why NASA is in the trouble it is in now - Socrates II - 8/17/2009 1:05:06 PM
- Just how bad... - dtb - 8/13/2009 6:55:07 PM
  - NEA and Phobos missions... - Adam - 8/14/2009 1:30:28 AM
    - re: NEA and Phobos missions... - Marsby - 8/16/2009 5:02:47 PM
    - re: NEA and Phobos missions... - Jeff F - 8/14/2009 4:44:15 PM
      - Let us be honest here - Socrates II - 8/14/2009 5:10:58 PM
        
        Zubrin's "Gaiashield" is a good baseline... - Adam - 8/14/2009 11:29:14 PM
        
        The Obvious Problem - Marsby - 8/16/2009 5:28:34 PM
        
        I agree - Adam - 8/17/2009 12:35:34 PM
        
        A synopsis of why Phobos makes a good platform for exploring Mars - Socrates II - 8/18/2009 1:24:08 PM
        
        re: A synopsis of why Phobos makes a good platform for exploring Mars - Marsby - 8/18/2009 9:31:15 PM
        
        In the SF novel Red Planet - Socrates II - 8/19/2009 2:14:40 PM
        
        OOPs - Marsby - 8/19/2009 6:27:04 PM
        
        Not A Fan - Marsby - 8/19/2009 5:35:40 PM
        
        KSR's Red Mars is online for free, but... - Socrates II - 8/19/2009 6:27:26 PM
        
        Thanks - Marsby - 8/21/2009 3:13:04 AM
    - They say no, not with current budgets - dtb - 8/14/2009 4:07:44 AM
      - Aye Karumba! - Adam - 8/14/2009 8:02:48 AM
        
        Dumb Question of the Day - Socrates II - 8/14/2009 1:44:50 PM
        
        the public - pwokenyaw - 8/14/2009 5:32:57 PM
        
        re: the public - Marsby - 8/16/2009 5:37:59 PM
        
        Our workforce - Nick Hoffman - 8/16/2009 11:25:55 PM
        
        It Will Always Be Cheaper On a Cost Per Mission Basis - Marsby - 8/17/2009 2:52:54 AM
        
        Biosphere management... - Adam - 8/20/2009 10:53:49 PM
        
        re: Biosphere management... - Marsby - 8/21/2009 6:34:02 PM
        
        We disagree by several orders of magnitude - pwokenyaw - 8/17/2009 3:52:55 AM
        
        Try Using Scientific Terms - Marsby - 8/17/2009 4:36:18 AM
        
        re: Try Using Scientific Terms - pwokenyaw - 8/17/2009 11:15:35 PM
        
        Probably Confused with Podrock - Marsby - 8/18/2009 3:31:31 PM
        
        Confused with Podrock? - podrock - 8/18/2009 7:29:29 PM
        
        Try Using Scientific Terms - Marsby - 8/17/2009 4:27:02 AM
        
        re: the public - Jeff F - 8/14/2009 11:06:36 PM
        
        and whose money will you use to do this? (n/t) - pwokenyaw - 8/15/2009 5:31:10 AM
        
        "the people"... - Adam - 8/14/2009 11:34:22 PM
        
        The construction of Endeavour also required a budget increase (n/t) - Raoul - 8/14/2009 5:45:31 PM

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