Transcript Gravitational Wave Detectors

Resources on Mars
Kevin Ann
Astronomy 330
Outline
Hydrogen Peroxide
 Structural Materials
 Water
 Food
 Energy
 Mining the Asteroid Belt
 Knowledge

Hydrogen Peroxide
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“Petroleum” of Mars
Obtained from
– H2 and O2
– Atmosphere and Regolith
Using
– Autoxidation, electrolytic reactions, electrolysis,
electrical discharge, and photochemical reactions
– Heat from solar reflector furnace and nuclear reactor
Uses
– Mono/Bi propellant for rockets, explosives for
mining/construction, bleach, disinfectant, antifreeze
Hydrogen Peroxide

1 m3 (1 metric ton ~ 2,205 lbs at 273 K) can
provide
– 692 kg of oxygen: 917 person*days of
breathing
– 778 kg of water: 517 person*days of drinking
– 1,175 kWh of energy
Structural Materials
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Bricks
– Grind, wet, mold, dry, then bake
Duricrete
– 12% MgSO4, 1% NaCl, 2% Fe2O3, and 85% Clay
(Boyd)
Tensile Strengths
– Brick: 600 psi
– Concrete: 800 psi
– Duricrete: ~700 psi
Water

Optimistic/Speculative Methods
– Geothermally heated pools, liquid brines, ice deposits
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Viable Methods
– Hydrogen Peroxide
– Regolith
• 3% Water
• Bake and collect steam
• 1kg water needs ~3.5 kWh of energy
– Atmosphere
• Zeolite
• Absorbs up to 20% of weight in water
Food
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Solar Energy
– ~40% of Earth’s
CO2
– Sufficient, can adjust pressure inside domes
Soil
– Mechanical support
– Chemical content
Atmosphere
– Sufficiently dense to protect from solar
radiation
Energy
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Solar Energy
– Viable, but must be made more efficient
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Nuclear
– Fission requires Deuterium
– Deuterium is 5 times more common on Mars
– Deuterium obtained through electrolysis in the
production of Hydrogen Peroxide
– Must ship first reactors from Earth
Metals
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Steel
– Iron obtained from Hematite
– Alloyed with carbon, manganese, phosphorus,
and silicon
– Uses: with duricrete for structures, sheet
metal, and variety of manufactured products
Aluminum
– 4% of Martian Crust in form of oxide ore
alumina
– Highly endothermic reaction needed
– Uses: electrical wiring and construction of
spacecraft
Metals
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Silicon
– Silicon Dioxide comprises 45% of Mars’ crust
– Uses: semiconductors for computers and with
CO2 for rocket fuel
Copper
– Obtained from copper ore deposits at base of
lava flows
– Uses: electrical wiring
– Copper ore indicative of other types of
elemental ores needed by a technological
civilization
Mining the Asteroid Belt
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Combined mass = 2.5% of Earth’s moon
Using Mars as a base of operations
Estimated Worth Per Person on Earth
–
–
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–
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Cobalt:
$26 billion
Iron:
$7 billion
Silicon:
$6 billion
Nickel:
$6 billion
Platinum Related Metals:
$32 billion
Silver, Copper, Manganese,
Titanium, Gold, and Uranium,
The Rare Earth Metals
$28 billion
– Total:
>$100 billion
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Nuclear material: Energy needs for 1016 people using 1 kW
each for 200 days.
Will allow for Mars to be a viable and thriving economy
Knowledge
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Advances in:
– Energy production
– Manufacturing
– Robotics
– Biotechnology
– Nanotechnology
– Rocket Propulsion
– Basic Science
Conclusion
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Sufficient resources to sustain life
 Sufficient resources for interplanetary
commerce
 Invaluable knowledge-based resources for
export back to Earth