Posted on 07/15/2018 7:36:12 PM PDT by BenLurkin
A diverse range of scientists, engineers and mining technologists have begun blueprinting what hardware and missions are required to explore and establish a prospecting campaign for water ice at the poles of Earth's moon.
Why have they warmed up to ultra-cold lunar ice? Water ice can be converted to oxygen, liquid water and rocket fuel. Exploiting the stores of this resource — which is thought to be abundant within permanently shadowed polar craters on the moon — could help pioneers survive and thrive on the moon, and help entrepreneurs turn a profit.
For example, United Launch Alliance is maintaining its $3,000-per-kilogram ($1,360 per lb.) offer, first made in 2016, for moon-derived propellant delivered to low Earth orbit. The satellite communications industry could well be the first market for space resources.
Scientists, engineers and exploration advocates are keen to characterize lunar ice as an economic resource. To do so, however, more data is needed about lunar ice deposits, its distribution, concentration, quantity, disposition, depth, geotechnical properties and any other characteristics necessary to design and develop extraction and processing systems.
That said, the biggest uncertainty is still the form of the lunar ice. The method used for mining this resource depends on what form it is in.
Scientists, engineers and exploration advocates are keen to characterize lunar ice as an economic resource. To do so, however, more data is needed about lunar ice deposits, its distribution, concentration, quantity, disposition, depth, geotechnical properties and any other characteristics necessary to design and develop extraction and processing systems.
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
Funny how it started as water on the moon.
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Not just water on the moon, but the whole space boondoggle.
Eart orbiting sattlites are tremendously useful, but all the rest is insane.
There is more gold in one asteroid than all the world’s gold and mines. Not to mention platinum, silver, iron, copper, titanium, etc. There helium-3 on the moon, which would make a far better nuclear fuel than anything we have. There are also strategic advantages that come with occupying the high ground. Space is full of potential you just don’t see yet.
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You speak nonsense!
Show us the gold in any asteroid!
No asteroid has ever been brought to Earth to examine.
Most meteorites found on earth are mostly iron. You can tell an iron meteor as it falls through the atmosphere displaying a bright white light.
A gold meteor would appear purple but dark and hard to even see.
It’s common knowledge in planetary science that heavy metals are far more abundant in asteroids, because on earth they all sunk to the core while it was molten. But in asteroids, which are the building blocks of planets, those heavy metals are still present. Do you have a specific reason for calling this nonsense?
The reason H2O on Earth’s Moon would be underground is that surface water would boil off in the vacuum & low gravity, ice would sublime, etc. But conditions a few feet down are much different. By your reasoning, the well @ my home must be dry — luckily, conditions 50 ft. down differ from the surface.
As for oxygen, there is lots of oxygen on & in the Moon. Just not in breathable form. It is in the rocks. Look it up.
I agree about the green men and cheese, however. ;-)
You still did not answer my question: If many moons have from some to huge qty’s of H2O in them, why would Earth’s moon not have at least some?
I don’t think there is ice on the moon but if there was, I don’t care.
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