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 ...
TAASTAAFL
Why does that matter? It’s already been detected. Whether it was emplaced by outgassing or deposited by impacts, etc... can by ruminated over by desk bound scholars at their leisure...
Underground ?? This is bryond is fiction. It has to be underground because we can’t see it. There is no oxygen on the moon. Absolutely zero. There is no water. There are no little green men or cheese. This is made up to get people to increase the national debt to 23. Trillion to make work for geeks. Let Leon musk go mining for moon dust . Not me.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/Mini-RF/multimedia/feature_ice_like_deposits.html
Total fabrication with zero basis in fact. Zero proof. Zero evidence.. but billions in wasted spending to prove a negative. I don’t want my grandkids paying this debt .. theynhavr plenty to pay now.
- Alfred Lord Noyes
Yes!! Date it!! Dinosaurs on the moon drinking water!!
Oh that ok. He thinks therein water and cheese on the moon. He will be fine when he grows up.
Here, do this for yourself.. obtain some standard binoculars. Now look at moon. See any water? See any ice? No. We just saved 100 billion!!
So you have personally observed the darkside of the moon with binoculars?
I’m sorry that science scares you so much.
You are not the sharpest knife in the drawer raiderboy. I was making fun of you.
Do some homework for me please. Why do both Mars and the Moon have little/no atmospheres. Why do the Earth and Venus both have atmospheres. (Hint. Study the cores and the magnetic fields and the “sandblasting” coming from the sun.)
You are a troll and I have fed you. On top of that you are science deficient.
PS. since I would probably have to hold your hand anyway, which planets/satellites do not have liquid cores generating a magnetic field which deflects the “sandblasting.”
Water on the moon is in deep craters near the poles that are cold as hell and don’t get “sandblasted” as a result.
Hey raiderboy,
I’ve been mighty entertained by your comments the past few months. They’re, ummm, always energetic. And you’re clearly very opinionated, which is fine, most of us here are. But you sometimes display a knack for running headlong into discussions where your opinions don’t match up well with the known and/or established reality.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that. :-)
The energy you inject into the conversation is awesome, no question.
But you’re still a noob, haven’t been here even one year. So I respectfully suggest that you take it a little easier on the rest of us who are just trying to have a sensible discussion.
Then again, every Internet forum has its ranting crackpots, so if that’s your goal and destiny, hey, go for it! Like I said, it is entertaining. :-)
Welcome to FreeRepublic!
Hey LTGM,
Don’t feel bad about feeding a troll. We all do it from time to time (as I just did above). Every forum has its maniacs, and fortunately, this one is moderately entertaining.
There was dennisw who trolled the Apple/Mac threads mercilessly a few years ago; he’s mellowed out considerably.
I suspect that after another year or two, raiderboy will outgrow his noob peachfuzz and start acting like a reasonable fellow FReeper. But I could be wrong, it’s happened before... LOL
Thanks a lot!! I feel quite at home here.. I am not too keen on conventional thinking unless it is correct.
It takes energy to break apart water into oxygen and hydrogen.
It takes energy to transport the machinery to the Moon.
It takes energy to go to the Moon.
Since the article doesn’t mention that, it is a fraud.
Right. Thanks for that.
Might want to check your Lunar travel guide again. The prior tourist attractions are on flat ground, well away from the polar areas.
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