3 ms·
"...at 50km, the abundance [of H2SO4] works out to ~14mg/m^3 or about 7ppm. So, between sulfuric acid and water vapor, you have about half as much mass per cubi
by skorgu 12y ago
"...at 50km, the abundance [of H2SO4] works out to ~14mg/m^3 or about 7ppm. So, between sulfuric acid and water vapor, you have about half as much mass per cubic meter as water vapor in the air near the ALMA observatory in the Atacama desert in Chile. Bone dry by terrestrial standards, but sopping wet compared to say the Moon." [0]
That plus higher-than-earth solar radiation to electrolyze it into H2 and O2 and you've got yourself a floating, solar-powered rocket fuel mine.
[0] http://selenianboondocks.com/2013/11/venus-isru-what-do-we-have-to-work-with/ http://selenianboondocks.com/2013/11/venus-isru-what-do-we-h...
- teamonkey 12y agoWater is more common elsewhere in the solar system. There might be water ice on the Moon, even Mercury. Comets are largely water ice, so are C-type asteroids. Many moons of the outer planets are supposed to have liquid or water ice in their cores. Titan and Europa possibly have more water than Earth. Which is to say, there's probably easier and (eventually at least) cheaper planetary targets for H2 and O2 factories.
- marcosdumay 12y agoA fuel mine deep inside a gravity weel as big as our own. It's very usefull for going into space again, but not for a refueling station.