3 ms·

If reduced gravity is the goal, then what would be the advantage of doing things on Mars versus in orbit, or just on the Moon?

• LeifCarrotson 9y ago
  The reason that reduced gravity helps is that after processing, you can loft it back into orbit. You can't manufacture fuel in orbit (it's a vacuum), and you can't manufacture fuel on the Moon (oxygen can be extracted with a lot of heat, but we can't make rockets without a fuel). But you can manufacture fuel with Martian atmospheric CO2 and frozen water.
  • rimunroe 9y ago
    Those are all reasons for not manufacturing fuel in orbit, but the person I was replying to was talking about processing materials from other planets. I get the desire of Mars-as-a-gas-station/space-oil-field, but don't see a benefit to manufacturing other things there specifically because of gravity. If we have the ability to ship materials from planet to planet for processing, then I don't see how you get much benefit flying them down to Mars's surface for processing versus just staying in orbit and shipping fuel/whatever you get from Mars up to you, just like with the other planets.
    • marktangotango 9y ago
      Not planets, asteroids. Will Belters be able to refine and create high tech alloys in zero g? Will they be able to manufacture parts and equipment in zero g, at scale. It may be that all those activities require gravity, or are exceedingly difficult in zero g, we don't know. In the case that those things are hard in zero g, my proposition is that Mars will be desirable place for those activities due to its low gravity and atm making it easy to send back up.