Options for making rocket fuel using the Moon's natural resourcesHow feasible is it to use aluminum and liquid oxygen as future propellant sourced from the moon?How was reserve fuel calculated for the Apollo missions?Are there relevant resources on the Moon for civil engineering?What does “self-pressurizing” mean in regards to propellant tanks?How much mass could the Saturn V rockets have landed on the Moon if nothing was coming back?Which heavenly bodies have stuff to make rocket fuel?What is required to produce rocket quality methane fuel and oxygen from Mars' atmosphere?Do any realistic rocket systems use different substances for propellant and fuel?Earth-based microwave radiometer for the MoonShape and dimensions of the Moon's reference surface for selenographic latitude/longitude?Where on Mars did the largest river once flow?
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Options for making rocket fuel using the Moon's natural resources
How feasible is it to use aluminum and liquid oxygen as future propellant sourced from the moon?How was reserve fuel calculated for the Apollo missions?Are there relevant resources on the Moon for civil engineering?What does “self-pressurizing” mean in regards to propellant tanks?How much mass could the Saturn V rockets have landed on the Moon if nothing was coming back?Which heavenly bodies have stuff to make rocket fuel?What is required to produce rocket quality methane fuel and oxygen from Mars' atmosphere?Do any realistic rocket systems use different substances for propellant and fuel?Earth-based microwave radiometer for the MoonShape and dimensions of the Moon's reference surface for selenographic latitude/longitude?Where on Mars did the largest river once flow?
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$begingroup$
Based on what is known about the chemistry of the lunar surface through remote sensing and surface exploration, what raw ingredients are likely to be available that can be used to make rocket fuel?
mars the-moon fuel chemistry
edited 7 hours ago
uhoh
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Bob BaileyBob Bailey
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add a comment |
$begingroup$
Based on what is known about the chemistry of the lunar surface through remote sensing and surface exploration, what raw ingredients are likely to be available that can be used to make rocket fuel?
mars the-moon fuel chemistry
edited 7 hours ago
uhoh
46.8k22 gold badges190 silver badges613 bronze badges
asked 8 hours ago
Bob BaileyBob Bailey
111 bronze badge
New contributor
Bob Bailey is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
The title mentions Mars, but the question as such just asks about rocket fuel in general.
$endgroup$
– Steve Linton
8 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
If there is water ice in deep craters close to the Moon poles, liquid hydrogen and oxygen may be generated from water needing a lot of energy. But to get a storable hypergolic fuel like hydrazin and nitrogentetroxid you need nitrogen too.
$endgroup$
– Uwe
8 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Based on what is known about the chemistry of the lunar surface through remote sensing and surface exploration, what raw ingredients are likely to be available that can be used to make rocket fuel?
mars the-moon fuel chemistry
edited 7 hours ago
uhoh
46.8k22 gold badges190 silver badges613 bronze badges
asked 8 hours ago
Bob BaileyBob Bailey
111 bronze badge
New contributor
Bob Bailey is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$endgroup$
Based on what is known about the chemistry of the lunar surface through remote sensing and surface exploration, what raw ingredients are likely to be available that can be used to make rocket fuel?
mars the-moon fuel chemistry
mars the-moon fuel chemistry
edited 7 hours ago
uhoh
46.8k22 gold badges190 silver badges613 bronze badges
asked 8 hours ago
Bob BaileyBob Bailey
111 bronze badge
New contributor
Bob Bailey is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 7 hours ago
uhoh
46.8k22 gold badges190 silver badges613 bronze badges
asked 8 hours ago
Bob BaileyBob Bailey
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New contributor
Bob Bailey is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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edited 7 hours ago
uhoh
46.8k22 gold badges190 silver badges613 bronze badges
edited 7 hours ago
uhoh
46.8k22 gold badges190 silver badges613 bronze badges
edited 7 hours ago
uhoh
46.8k22 gold badges190 silver badges613 bronze badges
46.8k22 gold badges190 silver badges613 bronze badges
asked 8 hours ago
Bob BaileyBob Bailey
111 bronze badge
New contributor
Bob Bailey is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 8 hours ago
Bob BaileyBob Bailey
111 bronze badge
asked 8 hours ago
Bob BaileyBob Bailey
111 bronze badge
111 bronze badge
New contributor
Bob Bailey is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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New contributor
Bob Bailey is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$begingroup$
The title mentions Mars, but the question as such just asks about rocket fuel in general.
$endgroup$
– Steve Linton
8 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
If there is water ice in deep craters close to the Moon poles, liquid hydrogen and oxygen may be generated from water needing a lot of energy. But to get a storable hypergolic fuel like hydrazin and nitrogentetroxid you need nitrogen too.
$endgroup$
– Uwe
8 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The title mentions Mars, but the question as such just asks about rocket fuel in general.
$endgroup$
– Steve Linton
8 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
If there is water ice in deep craters close to the Moon poles, liquid hydrogen and oxygen may be generated from water needing a lot of energy. But to get a storable hypergolic fuel like hydrazin and nitrogentetroxid you need nitrogen too.
$endgroup$
– Uwe
8 hours ago
$begingroup$
The title mentions Mars, but the question as such just asks about rocket fuel in general.
$endgroup$
– Steve Linton
8 hours ago
$begingroup$
The title mentions Mars, but the question as such just asks about rocket fuel in general.
$endgroup$
– Steve Linton
8 hours ago
1
1
$begingroup$
If there is water ice in deep craters close to the Moon poles, liquid hydrogen and oxygen may be generated from water needing a lot of energy. But to get a storable hypergolic fuel like hydrazin and nitrogentetroxid you need nitrogen too.
$endgroup$
– Uwe
8 hours ago
$begingroup$
If there is water ice in deep craters close to the Moon poles, liquid hydrogen and oxygen may be generated from water needing a lot of energy. But to get a storable hypergolic fuel like hydrazin and nitrogentetroxid you need nitrogen too.
$endgroup$
– Uwe
8 hours ago
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
There are a number of rocket fuels that can be made from moon rock, discussed in some depth in this answer and the linked papers. None is as good as "normal" fuels like kerosene and liquid oxygen, and there are some engineering problems, but they are possible.
There is recent evidence of water (probably in the form of slightly less dessicated, but still thoroughly frozen rocks) at the South pole of the moon, where there are craters in permanent shadow. If that can be extracted, then liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen can be prepared.
answered 8 hours ago
Steve LintonSteve Linton
10k1 gold badge26 silver badges53 bronze badges
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
This answer could be improved by mentioning aluminum and liquid oxygen. As currently written, one must follow the link to discover that.
$endgroup$
– DrSheldon
2 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The lunar regolith contains over 40 weight % of oxygen, but the rest of metals and silicon is not well suited to make a fuel. Only very, very few carbon or hydrogen, less than 1 %. Without finding water it is not possible to prepare a good fuel.
answered 7 hours ago
UweUwe
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2 Answers
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2 Answers
2
active
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active
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$begingroup$
There are a number of rocket fuels that can be made from moon rock, discussed in some depth in this answer and the linked papers. None is as good as "normal" fuels like kerosene and liquid oxygen, and there are some engineering problems, but they are possible.
There is recent evidence of water (probably in the form of slightly less dessicated, but still thoroughly frozen rocks) at the South pole of the moon, where there are craters in permanent shadow. If that can be extracted, then liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen can be prepared.
answered 8 hours ago
Steve LintonSteve Linton
10k1 gold badge26 silver badges53 bronze badges
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
This answer could be improved by mentioning aluminum and liquid oxygen. As currently written, one must follow the link to discover that.
$endgroup$
– DrSheldon
2 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
There are a number of rocket fuels that can be made from moon rock, discussed in some depth in this answer and the linked papers. None is as good as "normal" fuels like kerosene and liquid oxygen, and there are some engineering problems, but they are possible.
There is recent evidence of water (probably in the form of slightly less dessicated, but still thoroughly frozen rocks) at the South pole of the moon, where there are craters in permanent shadow. If that can be extracted, then liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen can be prepared.
answered 8 hours ago
Steve LintonSteve Linton
10k1 gold badge26 silver badges53 bronze badges
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
This answer could be improved by mentioning aluminum and liquid oxygen. As currently written, one must follow the link to discover that.
$endgroup$
– DrSheldon
2 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
There are a number of rocket fuels that can be made from moon rock, discussed in some depth in this answer and the linked papers. None is as good as "normal" fuels like kerosene and liquid oxygen, and there are some engineering problems, but they are possible.
There is recent evidence of water (probably in the form of slightly less dessicated, but still thoroughly frozen rocks) at the South pole of the moon, where there are craters in permanent shadow. If that can be extracted, then liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen can be prepared.
answered 8 hours ago
Steve LintonSteve Linton
10k1 gold badge26 silver badges53 bronze badges
$endgroup$
There are a number of rocket fuels that can be made from moon rock, discussed in some depth in this answer and the linked papers. None is as good as "normal" fuels like kerosene and liquid oxygen, and there are some engineering problems, but they are possible.
There is recent evidence of water (probably in the form of slightly less dessicated, but still thoroughly frozen rocks) at the South pole of the moon, where there are craters in permanent shadow. If that can be extracted, then liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen can be prepared.
answered 8 hours ago
Steve LintonSteve Linton
10k1 gold badge26 silver badges53 bronze badges
answered 8 hours ago
Steve LintonSteve Linton
10k1 gold badge26 silver badges53 bronze badges
answered 8 hours ago
Steve LintonSteve Linton
10k1 gold badge26 silver badges53 bronze badges
answered 8 hours ago
Steve LintonSteve Linton
10k1 gold badge26 silver badges53 bronze badges
10k1 gold badge26 silver badges53 bronze badges
$begingroup$
This answer could be improved by mentioning aluminum and liquid oxygen. As currently written, one must follow the link to discover that.
$endgroup$
– DrSheldon
2 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
This answer could be improved by mentioning aluminum and liquid oxygen. As currently written, one must follow the link to discover that.
$endgroup$
– DrSheldon
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
This answer could be improved by mentioning aluminum and liquid oxygen. As currently written, one must follow the link to discover that.
$endgroup$
– DrSheldon
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
This answer could be improved by mentioning aluminum and liquid oxygen. As currently written, one must follow the link to discover that.
$endgroup$
– DrSheldon
2 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The lunar regolith contains over 40 weight % of oxygen, but the rest of metals and silicon is not well suited to make a fuel. Only very, very few carbon or hydrogen, less than 1 %. Without finding water it is not possible to prepare a good fuel.
answered 7 hours ago
UweUwe
12.9k2 gold badges34 silver badges60 bronze badges
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The lunar regolith contains over 40 weight % of oxygen, but the rest of metals and silicon is not well suited to make a fuel. Only very, very few carbon or hydrogen, less than 1 %. Without finding water it is not possible to prepare a good fuel.
answered 7 hours ago
UweUwe
12.9k2 gold badges34 silver badges60 bronze badges
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The lunar regolith contains over 40 weight % of oxygen, but the rest of metals and silicon is not well suited to make a fuel. Only very, very few carbon or hydrogen, less than 1 %. Without finding water it is not possible to prepare a good fuel.
answered 7 hours ago
UweUwe
12.9k2 gold badges34 silver badges60 bronze badges
$endgroup$
The lunar regolith contains over 40 weight % of oxygen, but the rest of metals and silicon is not well suited to make a fuel. Only very, very few carbon or hydrogen, less than 1 %. Without finding water it is not possible to prepare a good fuel.
answered 7 hours ago
UweUwe
12.9k2 gold badges34 silver badges60 bronze badges
answered 7 hours ago
UweUwe
12.9k2 gold badges34 silver badges60 bronze badges
answered 7 hours ago
UweUwe
12.9k2 gold badges34 silver badges60 bronze badges
answered 7 hours ago
UweUwe
12.9k2 gold badges34 silver badges60 bronze badges
12.9k2 gold badges34 silver badges60 bronze badges
add a comment |
add a comment |
Bob Bailey is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Bob Bailey is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Bob Bailey is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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$begingroup$
The title mentions Mars, but the question as such just asks about rocket fuel in general.
$endgroup$
– Steve Linton
8 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
If there is water ice in deep craters close to the Moon poles, liquid hydrogen and oxygen may be generated from water needing a lot of energy. But to get a storable hypergolic fuel like hydrazin and nitrogentetroxid you need nitrogen too.
$endgroup$
– Uwe
8 hours ago