Interplanetary resources

[ARS]

In your opinion, what's the main resources and raw materials that would probably extracted from planetary bodies in our solar system? (For example, Titan= methane extraction => Fuel). I'm not making any assumption or consideration about spaceflight technology being used, just what's materials that's most likely being extracted (Dunno if gas giants can provide resources) I'm thinking about this after my failed attempt at landing my mining rig on the mun, and somehow I'm wondering: in KSP, we extract ore for fuel, but in real life, what's the most likely resources that we extract from other planets?

Replies are appreciated

Edited April 26, 2017 by ARS

[ZentroCatson]

This is actually a very interesting question. I would say hydrogen, its required for fueling long-range craft. Though who knows what kind of engines we'll use in the future, so its hard to say what fuel we'll use. But for constructing spaceships in space you need other materials, like aluminium (or whatever they make spaceships nowadays). There's a large amount of resources you need for space travel, so its really hard to say which one would be the most commonly mined. Definitely something used for fuel.

[StrandedonEarth]

Water, the stuff of life, first and foremost. Breaks down into oxygen and hydrogen for propellants  

Next would be anything carbonaceous, along with hydrogen can form methane for an easier-to-handle fuel, and all the organic chemistry that builds up from there. Especially useful for plastics and carbon composites. 

After that would be aluminum, which iirc is common in lunar soil, and can be refined with just electricity. Then iron and titanium and other metals. 

 

[Vanamonde]

Thread move to the Science sub, because it's about science and stuff. 

[ARS]

3 hours ago, ZentroCatson said:

This is actually a very interesting question. I would say hydrogen, its required for fueling long-range craft. Though who knows what kind of engines we'll use in the future, so its hard to say what fuel we'll use. But for constructing spaceships in space you need other materials, like aluminium (or whatever they make spaceships nowadays). There's a large amount of resources you need for space travel, so its really hard to say which one would be the most commonly mined. Definitely something used for fuel.

Personally, I think each planet being mined will be focused on what their resources could be used. For example, Lunar metal excavation could have a colony dedicated for building spacecraft, while Titan methane extraction could have a colony dedicated for refueling for long range travel

[SaturnianBlue]

If we consider raw resources that would be exported, I think Mercury, the Moon, and just maybe the Gas giants might see Helium-3 mines as a profitable venture, if nuclear pulse propulsion becomes a viable form of propulsion. Mercury would probably be a major center for mining metals, which would likely be manufactured into various products. 

[IncongruousGoat]

I'm of the opinion that the value of carbon is severely understated. Not only is it necessary for making all sorts of things (like silicone, which is good for sealants), but more importantly it's necessary if you want to expand the population in-situ at all, for the simple reason that the carbon atoms that will end up composing the new colonists need to come from somewhere, and shipping them from Earth sort of defeats the point, and is really expensive. Same for phosphorous and nitrogen, although not quite to the same extent.

Edited April 27, 2017 by IncongruousGoat

[kerbiloid]

Dirt and stone. When you split them in atoms you get any.

[YNM]

Fuel. All stopping places for vehicles almost always have the fuel for it in it. Even fuel tankers needs fuel...

Also, fuel for the man.

[Bill Phil]

Hydrogen. It's everywhere anyways... 

[ChainiaC]

Uranium and Thorium (unless we get fancy fusion power). Which, annoyingly, is mostly found in the inner solar system (because rock), but needed most in the outer solar system (because of the lack of solar power).

[ARS]

1 hour ago, ChainiaC said:

Uranium and Thorium (unless we get fancy fusion power). Which, annoyingly, is mostly found in the inner solar system (because rock), but needed most in the outer solar system (because of the lack of solar power).

Or, using helium-3 found on jupiter as a fuel for nuclear fusion

[ChainiaC]

Theoretically, maybe, but personally I consider fusion power to be science fiction until proven otherwise. Fission power is a proven technology with the highest currently available power density. 

Hmm... maybe there's some fissionables on Io, or in rocky chunks of Callisto... or maybe one of the gas giants captured a rich metallic asteroid we don't yet know about...

[ARS]

23 minutes ago, ChainiaC said:

Theoretically, maybe, but personally I consider fusion power to be science fiction until proven otherwise. Fission power is a proven technology with the highest currently available power density. 

Hmm... maybe there's some fissionables on Io, or in rocky chunks of Callisto... or maybe one of the gas giants captured a rich metallic asteroid we don't yet know about...

The easiest fuel source on the outer region of solar system is Titan's methane (which is easily refined into rocket fuel)

[ChainiaC]

But how do you *use* said methane fuel? Oxidize it? With what? Heat it? With what power source?

[ARS]

7 minutes ago, ChainiaC said:

But how do you *use* said methane fuel? Oxidize it? With what? Heat it? With what power source?

Obviously, there needs to be a refining facility on Titan to make it usable (in fact, Titan makes a good refueling point for interplanetary ship)

[kerbiloid]

18 minutes ago, ChainiaC said:

But how do you *use* said methane fuel? Oxidize it? With what? Heat it? With what power source?

They can produce hydrocarbonic fuel for local needs and get oxygen from the ice satellites.

And use it as a propellant for nuclear engines, without oxidizer.
(Probably, not methane itself but ammonia or so, made of the methane's hydrogen and the atmospheric nitrogen.)

Edited April 28, 2017 by kerbiloid

[ChainiaC]

While I can totally see the merit in using Titan's hydrocarbons as the basis for organic chemistry, I simply fail to see the logic in using it as either fuel or propellant. Let me elaborate:

- Fuel: 

You would need oxidizer. Yes you can get oxygen from splitting water ice, which is quite abundant, but then you would instantly get free hydrogen too in eactly the right fuel/oxidiser ratio, in short, instant HydroLox. So why use the hydrocarbons at all?

- Propellant:

Methane causes nasty sooting and gives mediocre ISP. Yes, Ammonia is better, but to synthesize that, you need nitrogen from Titan's atmosphere plus hydrogen, which... well... you could get from splitting ice as well. So no need for the hydrocarobons. And besides, if it's readily available high denisty, non reactive and easily storable propellant you need, just use plain old water. No need to descend into Titans gravity well and souposphere at all.

I think the irony here is that hydrocaron lakes would be a highly valuable fuel source here on earth (if you disregard the issues the CO2 emissions from burning the stuff would cause), but rather useless as fuel on Titan. 

Edited April 28, 2017 by ChainiaC

[kerbiloid]

Aim is the question.

I believe, Titan is the greatest choice to found a small hi-tec colony with a great fleet of orbital telescopes, which will provide Terrans with 10 AU astronomical + communication + navigation interferometry which will dramatically extend human abilities in solar and extrasolar astronomy.

Also this colony can support two lesser colonies: near Triton and Pluto, which allow 70 AU-wide interferometry to inventarize every flying stone in the Solar System and investigate anything down to large cities and islands on extrasolar planets in thousands l.y across.

This will nearly eliminate any purpose of interstellar flights until we find something really significant to bother with.

And as the Titan colony will be hi-tec and self-sustained, it will be a reserve backup brain of the Earth, for what Mars is usually purposed.

Of course, Titan is a resource brilliant to support such colony, providing it with nanotubes, graphene, polymers and trivial propellant/fuel stuff.

Edited April 28, 2017 by kerbiloid

[Bill Phil]

6 hours ago, ChainiaC said:

Theoretically, maybe, but personally I consider fusion power to be science fiction until proven otherwise. Fission power is a proven technology with the highest currently available power density. 

Hmm... maybe there's some fissionables on Io, or in rocky chunks of Callisto... or maybe one of the gas giants captured a rich metallic asteroid we don't yet know about...

The Galilean moons, at least the outer two, are about half rock. Same with Titan. So there may be some fissionables out there. Although, we do have some really light mirrors even today. So we could use large mirror arrays out at Jupiter for power. Saturn would be difficult, though...