Moon Based H2O Mining Missions To Kick Start Space Exploration

[Xittenn]

I did a quick SFN search and was surprised to find no results returned for 'Moon Water!' Well as was publicized back in November NASA believes they have discovered signs of water on the Moon! \o/ This took me down the pretty obvious Rabbit Hole I call 'space exploration.' What could water on the Moon mean for space exploration? No it doesn't mean we will have something to drink while we are up there....

 

What do I feel I would like to exploit about the existence of water on the Moon??? Well! I think if it is discovered that there are significant amounts of water on the Moon/1 that we must most definitely tap into this resource as a viable means of energy storage and transmission. What if we could reduce and even almost eliminate the need to contain an energy source on-board space vessels. I think if there are wells of H2O on the Big Rock in the Sky we may have this opportunity.

 

I see a multiphase energy grid in the works here. First of all there is the wonderful giant energy emitting Sun where in space the transmission of this energy is rather unimpeded. There are many who believe we should be focusing on harnessing this energy on-board space vessels but I think we should take maybe a less direct approach. The Moon is also a viable energy collector and is even being considered as an energy station providing Earth with much of its requirements. Essentially if Moon Based Solar Farming becomes a reality this would be a huge step in the process. Under the power of Solar Farming mining operations could be set up where water can be found and the water could be stored at fueling stations.

 

A large savings would be made if space vessels did not have to carry fuel with them. This would also translate to an energy savings where Earth launch is concerned. So what is going to propel these space vessels? The first and for some most obvious solution is hydrolysis of water on the Moon base for cryogenic propulsion. I don't think spitting water out into space is such a great idear. I'm personally kind of partial to the whole Ion Propulsion thing. Ion propulsion opens up energy storage to a variety of types from Nuclear to Hydrogen Fuel Cells; the latter being the more applicable to this rant.

 

Photoassisted Electrolysis of Water by Irradiation of a Titanium Dioxide Electrode or Titanium Disilicide Derived Semiconducting Catalyst for Water Splitting under Solar Radiation are promising methods for acquiring and also the recycling of the raw materials required as fuel for an Hydrogen Fuel Cells. If a capacitative load of Hydrogen and Oxygen were to be stored on-board a vessel not only could an Ion Propulsion Drive be powered for enough time to accelerate to some velocity, it could also be recharged. Moon based UV lasers could essentially serve as a means of in flight power transmission through space.

 

Having done other research on the materials on the Moon that could be provided to essentially build a system from ground up the litterature has provided nothing but a positive outlook. Not going into detail here about the available materials from Moon rock but essentially all materials are already present up there. I think if water is found to exist in some quantity albeit in veins under the surface it could be the push required to initiate commercial ventures into space. I know I for one would love to start or get on that train!

 

- PrettyFlower

 

1/ being that a moon is more so a type we should name this thing... big rock in the sky w/water

Edited July 2, 2010 by buttacup

[PaulS1950]

Buttacup,

I watched an address by Obama at NASA not long ago in which he stated that funding for NASA would be doubled but only if the moon and mars were put on the back burner. Apparently Obama wants NASA to concentrate on exploring and possibly mining asteroids. He has no concept of the fact that the asteroids are farther away than Mars and the limitations on what robotics can do. I doubt that we will get closer to a Lunar or Martian facility in the near future unless we stop the interference from the political machine.

[Moontanman]

Buttacup,

I watched an address by Obama at NASA not long ago in which he stated that funding for NASA would be doubled but only if the moon and mars were put on the back burner. Apparently Obama wants NASA to concentrate on exploring and possibly mining asteroids. He has no concept of the fact that the asteroids are farther away than Mars and the limitations on what robotics can do. I doubt that we will get closer to a Lunar or Martian facility in the near future unless we stop the interference from the political machine.

 

 

Being further from the Earth than Mars or the Moon doesn't mean they are harder to visit than the Moon or Mars. One thing is certain, the asteroids are easier to mine than the Moon or Mars, asteroids do not have large gravity wells that need to be over come to bring mined materials to the Earth. Any way you slice it materials mined from asteroids are easier to use than materials lugged up out of even the Moons weak gravity well...

[PaulS1950]

Easier and less expensive to transport yes but not easier to mine. There is no way currently to mine robotically and manned missions to mine an asteroid present many more problems than a Lunar or Martian base. Being between Mars and Jupiter most of the asteroids would take longer to get to and from. There is little hope of getting water from an asteroid so a manned mission would need to take everything that was needed for life with you for the entire trip and stay on station (likely 3 years) with no hope of getting help if needed in a timely manner. It takes us 7 months to get to Mars. Add the time it will take to get to the asteroid belt and it makes a supply mission impractical and a resue mission impossible. The distance from the sun makes solar power production limited too which is not a problem on the Moon.

Transportation of materials from an asteroid is easier but we have to invent the mining technology that can be anchored to a spinning, tumbling asteroid that has very little gravity. The drilling would have to be managed so as not to adversely affect the rotations and orbit of the rock that is being mined. Collisions could be expected and acounted for in advance of the mission. We also need to transport the mining gear all the way there and either be able to use it on multiple asteroids or the cost would be prohibitive. There has to be a method in place to safely transport the material back to Earth without the threat of uncontrolled reentry which means multiple return vessels for each asteroid mined. If only one vessel were used it would have to carry very large amounts of materials and would be very expensive to transport to the asteroid in the first place. I may be wrong but it seems an impractical or at least less practical than mining on the Moon to assist in developing technology to move on.

[Mr Skeptic]

Water on the moon has many important aspects. For me, the biggest part is what it can do to further space exploration and enthusiasm. Water on the moon makes colonization possible (easier enough to be feasible in practice), since having to lug the water there would be very annoying. We'd need the water for human use and for green houses, and also for rocket fuel. Because of the moon's low gravity well having a rocket base on the moon would be very useful.

 

As for mining of space rocks, that does seem like a good idea to me. Keep in mind that there are lots of them everywhere (most definitely not only in the asteroid belt), and also their composition varies drastically (a big plus for mining). Some of them have a lot of volatiles such as water and methane. Some have a lot of rock. And some are almost entirely metal. Because of their low/almost non-existent gravity well, transporting the materials from them would be very easy. Landing on them is also easier and safer, at least if they aren't rotating very fast. I don't think we have any experience at zero-g mining and refining though.