The Martian Dialogs - final chapter

Posted by Bobba on Jun 10, 2002 at 10:24
(198.199.145.253)

Bob Parks chimes in again. Between him and Southern Man, I must admit defeat. I'm going to Europa instead. Where'd i put my hiking boots and back pack?

2. MARS ODYSSEY: FILL 'ER UP FOR THE TRIP HOME? Last week, WN
scoffed at media suggestions that water found on Mars by the
Odyssey orbiter might someday be used in manned missions to make
rocket fuel for the return trip. "Haven't you guys ever heard of
electrolysis?" indignant readers asked. Well, yes, we have, but
to make that much hydrogen you're going to need a lot of
electricity. "No problem," we were told, "the plan is to use
solar cells." The plan? We called Jim Garvin, NASA's head
scientist for Mars Exploration. "We have no plans to find water
in the form of ice and convert it into anything," he snorted.
But, you might ask, is it a practical idea? Alas, the hydrogen
found by Odyssey is in the polar regions. Elsewhere, things look
pretty dry. "OK, so they'll send along a nuclear reactor."
Good idea, but you'd better toss in a backhoe too. Even in the
polar regions the water is a foot or two below the surface and
it's in the form of frozen mud, maybe 20% water. So where does
the media get hold of these ideas? They must be coming from the
Mars lobby, which is dedicated to underestimating the difficulty.

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