Elon Musk discusses making Mars more habitable by nuking thepoles

On 9/24/15 10:24 PM, Fred J. McCall wrote :
Alain Fournier wrote:

On 9/23/15 11:16 PM, Fred J. McCall wrote :
JF Mezei wrote:

On 15-09-23 06:24, Jeff Findley wrote:

You need LOX/methane for the return trip.

How can one produce methane on a carbon-lacking planet ?


Uh, the Martian atmosphere is made of what, again?


Wouldn't it be far simpler and less risky to have electrolysis to
produce H2 and O2 frm ice


Assuming you can find enough ice. The atmosphere is easier to find.

I agree with you, but finding ice on Mars is easy. There is a great
quantity of ice at the poles.


Much of the ice at the poles is CO2 ice and not water ice.

Wikipedia says that "The caps at both poles consist primarily of water
ice. Frozen carbon dioxide accumulates as a comparatively thin layer
about one metre thick on the north cap in the northern winter only,
while the south cap has a permanent dry ice cover about 8 m thick."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martian_polar_ice_caps


Alain Fournier

On 9/29/15 1:33 AM, Fred J. McCall wrote:
Alain Fournier wrote:

On 9/24/15 10:24 PM, Fred J. McCall wrote :
Alain Fournier wrote:

On 9/23/15 11:16 PM, Fred J. McCall wrote :
JF Mezei wrote:

On 15-09-23 06:24, Jeff Findley wrote:

You need LOX/methane for the return trip.

How can one produce methane on a carbon-lacking planet ?


Uh, the Martian atmosphere is made of what, again?


Wouldn't it be far simpler and less risky to have electrolysis to
produce H2 and O2 frm ice


Assuming you can find enough ice. The atmosphere is easier to find.

I agree with you, but finding ice on Mars is easy. There is a great
quantity of ice at the poles.


Much of the ice at the poles is CO2 ice and not water ice.


Wikipedia says that "The caps at both poles consist primarily of water
ice. Frozen carbon dioxide accumulates as a comparatively thin layer
about one metre thick on the north cap in the northern winter only,
while the south cap has a permanent dry ice cover about 8 m thick."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martian_polar_ice_caps


Read the words, Alain. I said 'much', not 'most'...

Whether you write much or most doesn't change the fact that finding
water on Mars is easy.


Alain Fournier