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>"Importing hydrocarbons Another way to create a Martian atmosphere would be to import methane (CH4) or other hydrocarbons,[42][43] which are common in Titan's
by peter_d_sherman 6y ago
>"Importing hydrocarbons
Another way to create a Martian atmosphere would be to import methane (CH4) or other hydrocarbons,[42][43] which are common in Titan's atmosphere and on its surface; the methane could be vented into the atmosphere where it would act to compound the greenhouse effect.[44] However, like ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4) is a relatively light gas. It is in fact even less dense than ammonia and so would similarly be lost into space if it was introduced, and at a faster rate than ammonia. Even if a method could be found to prevent it escaping into space, methane can exist in the Martian atmosphere for only a limited period before it is destroyed. Estimates of its lifetime range from 0.6–4 years.[45][46]"
PDS: It seems to me that the two biggest problems on Mars, given that the atmosphere is apparently 95% CO2 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Mars https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Mars "The atmosphere of Mars is the layer of gases surrounding Mars. It is primarily composed of carbon dioxide (95%), molecular nitrogen (2.8%) and argon (2%).[3]"),
is that while Oxygen in theory should be plentiful via extraction from CO2 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Oxygen_ISRU_Experiment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Oxygen_ISRU_Experiment),
Water (H20) -- and the Hydrogen to make water, are not...
So now the question becomes:
How to get Hydogen on Mars, if Water (H20) and Hydrogen itself -- are not available?
If Perseverance Rover finds water on Mars, then it's a solved problem...
But, what if no water is found on Mars?
What then?
?
Well, then we have the problem of how to either transport Water, and/or Hydrogen (and make the water from it) -- on Mars.
Since there are apparently no rocks, no minerals that contain Hydrogen on Mars, there are several questions that come to mind...
1) How (exactly) was the first Hydrogen formed in the Universe?
2) Can we duplicate that process -- to create Hydrogen out of something else, or out of space itself, on Mars?
3) If we can't duplicate that process, then
what is the most efficient way to bring Hydrogen to Mars?
Would it make sense to bring hydrocarbons, like Oil, and Oil-derivative products to Mars, and extract the Hydrogen from those?
Or would water itself be the most efficient form of Hydrogen transport?
Which leads to question #4:
4) If solid Hydrogen (which should in theory, be the most dense form of Hydrogen storage/transport) is not available by then, then what's the most efficient chemical compound that we can use, to transport the Hydrogen there?
?