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Exactly this - giant solar farm for rocket fuel production, turn it off at night, turn it down or off during dust storms. Rocket fuel could be used during these
by SECProto 8y ago
Exactly this - giant solar farm for rocket fuel production, turn it off at night, turn it down or off during dust storms. Rocket fuel could be used during these lulls (nights/storms) to provide power, maybe recapturing the exhaust gases as pure feedstock.
edit - batteries might be the better option for overnight, but would have serious mass penalty to use for long term backup power. Using fuel as storage is simple solution.
- jagger27 8y agoPower from combustion seems like a bit of a tough sell in an environment severely lacking in O2. Then you also need to bring some sort of high efficiency engine (probably an LNG turbine) with you too with an appropriately sized generator. Capturing exhaust gasses is a neat idea, but now you need to bring compressors and high pressure storage tanks with you.
- zaarn 8y agoO2 isn't the only way to do combustion. There is also a fair few of autooxidizing materials (monopropellant) which require nothing but a spark to burn up, no oxidizer necessary. But like with O2, it's all dangerous to contain as it easily burns without much options to extinguish (esp. Flourine Compounds are nasty and some will burn up sand, fireblankets, water and your fire extinguisher)
- azernik 8y agoIf you have locally manufactured fuel that can be used in a rocket, that fuel is going to include an oxidizer; e.g. the SpaceX plan is to manufacture methalox (methane + liquid oxygen) and store both of them.