September 27, 2016 Space Show appearance
For those that want to listen to me discuss Elon Musk’s speech as well as other space matters for two hours, you can download the podcast at The Space Show website. David Livingston also provides at this link a short summary of some of the topics we covered during last night’s show.
Readers!
Every February I run a fund-raising drive during my birthday month. This year I celebrate my 72nd birthday, and hope and plan to continue writing and posting on Behind the Black for as long as I am able.
I hope my readers will support this effort. As I did in my November fund-raising drive, I am offering autographed copies of my books for large donations. Donate $250 and you can have a choice of the hardback of either Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8 or Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space. Donate $200 and you can get an autographed paperback copy of either.
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
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For those that want to listen to me discuss Elon Musk’s speech as well as other space matters for two hours, you can download the podcast at The Space Show website. David Livingston also provides at this link a short summary of some of the topics we covered during last night’s show.
Readers!
Every February I run a fund-raising drive during my birthday month. This year I celebrate my 72nd birthday, and hope and plan to continue writing and posting on Behind the Black for as long as I am able.
I hope my readers will support this effort. As I did in my November fund-raising drive, I am offering autographed copies of my books for large donations. Donate $250 and you can have a choice of the hardback of either Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8 or Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space. Donate $200 and you can get an autographed paperback copy of either.
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
For the caller who appeared to be concerned Mars didn’t have enough carbon dioxide, its atmosphere weighs in at 25 trillion tons, and it’s at least 95% carbon dioxide.
There is plenty of CO2 to make O2, but you still need the other half of the rocket fuel. I suppose you have to either bring it and make it from something else on Mars.
J Fincannon, The H4 in the CH4 has a mass of only 25%. In the reaction O2+CH4, H only makes up 9% of the combined mass (and you obviously need a bit more O2 than CH4 so the real mass share is even lower). Hydrogen will have to be brought from Earth or be extracted from underground H2O on Mars. There’s a shortage of it on Mars, but a small problem to carry it there if needed.
Localfluff wrote: “Hydrogen will have to be brought from Earth or be extracted from underground H2O on Mars.”
It may not be easy to pump the underground water (which is not guaranteed to be there), as it may not flow as quickly as on Earth and may be slow to replenish the well, leaving the well dry or a low-flow source. However, another source is the ice at the poles, especially the north pole, which has less CO2 ice covering the water ice.
Musk noted this polar ice during his presentation on Monday, but he did not mention underground water as a source. Most likely he did not want to give anyone the opportunity to criticize the colonization idea due to lack of available hydrogen (since the underground water is not guaranteed).
Mars will be a difficult place to explore and colonize. Heinlein told us that “The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress,” but Mars will be no picnic, either.