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In early 2025, as interest in asteroid 2024 YR4 increased, it became clear that some humans are unaware of the need for certain elements to allow for the expansion of human (or other) life away from Earth.
This topic is offered for NewMars members to collect knowledge about the elements needed to permit expansion of life away from Earth.
Fortunately, it appears that the medical field on Earth has collected a great deal of information to guide humans as they search through the odds and ends of matter available in the Solar System, to find useful atoms.
As an example of the abundance of information that is available, here is a web site that discusses Phosphorus:
https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2013/ … nning-out/
The article at the link above discusses the difficulty of sourcing Phosphate rock on Earth.
At some point, some humans will become aware of the need to look for Phosphorus away from Earth.
Wikipedia offers a page on Composition of the human body:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compositi … human_body
Elemental composition list
Main article: mineral (nutrient)
The average 70 kg (150 lb) adult human body contains approximately 7×1027 atoms and contains at least detectable traces of 60 chemical elements.[5] About 29 of these elements are thought to play an active positive role in life and health in humans.[6]
When humans get serious about actually expanding into the Solar System, a few will see the need (and business opportunity) to become suppliers for elements essential for life. There will be some humans who are not aware of the need for these elements. Those who are NOT aware will be dependent upon those who are.
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This post is reserved for an index to posts that may be contributed by NewMars members over time.
It would help if authors will add a summary line at the bottom of the post, indicating what the post is about.
Post#4: Calliban: Link to a chart of chemical elements in the solar system
https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 95#p229995
Post#5: Calliban: Links to reports of Phosphorus in comets and meteorites from Mars
http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 02#p230002
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I asked Google's Gemini to "think" about the problem of finding elements needed to support human life away from Earth, and specifically in the Solar System.
Conversation with Gemini
hi Gemini! Thank you (again) for your help with previous requests. Today my question has even more relevance than usual. This time we will be considering the expansion of human life out into the Solar System. Wikipedia has a page devoted to the subject of chemical elements needed to "build/grow" a human being. While some elements are common in the Solar System, some are not. I'm hoping your ability to sift through vast amounts of data will help us to identify resources we will need to harvest to collect elements we need to grow a population away from Earth.Hello! I'm glad to assist you again, and this is a fascinating and crucial topic for any future human expansion into the Solar System. Let's delve into the chemical elements necessary for human life and where we might find them.
Essential Elements for Human Life:
As you mentioned, Wikipedia and other sources detail the elements crucial for human biology. These can be broadly categorized as:
Bulk Elements:
Oxygen (O)
Carbon (C)
Hydrogen (H)
Nitrogen (N)
Calcium (Ca)
Phosphorus (P) << See Post #5 for sources
Potassium (K)
Sulfur (S)
Sodium (Na)
Chlorine (Cl)
Magnesium (Mg)
Trace Elements:
Iron (Fe)
Cobalt (Co)
Copper (Cu)
Zinc (Zn)
Manganese (Mn)
Iodine (I)
Selenium (Se)
Molybdenum (Mo)
Chromium (Cr)
Fluorine (F)
Silicon (Si)
Resource Availability in the Solar System:Now, let's look at where we might find these elements:
Abundant Resources:
Hydrogen (H):
Found in abundance in the gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune).
Also present in water ice on comets, asteroids, and planetary moons.Oxygen (O):
Water ice is a primary source, found in comets, asteroids, and icy moons like Europa, Enceladus, and Titan.
Also found in the rocky materials of planets and asteroids as oxides.Carbon (C):
Found in carbonaceous asteroids.
Also present in the atmospheres of planets and moons as carbon dioxide and methane.
Titan has a large abundance of organic compounds.Nitrogen (N):
Found in the atmospheres of Titan and Earth.
Also present in some comets and asteroids.Silicon (Si):
Extremely abundant in rocky planets and asteroids.
Resources Requiring More Effort:Phosphorus (P):
Relatively rare. Found in some asteroids and potentially in the rocky materials of planets and moons.
Phosphate bearing minerals are not common.Potassium (K), Sodium (Na), Chlorine (Cl), Magnesium (Mg), Calcium (Ca), Sulfur (S):
These are found in various minerals on rocky bodies, including asteroids and planetary surfaces.
Extraction will require mining and refining.Trace Elements (Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Mn, I, Se, Mo, Cr, F):
These are generally found in metallic asteroids and in trace amounts in the rocky materials of planets and moons.
Metallic asteroids are a very good source of many of these.Iodine and Selenium will be very difficult to acquire.
Potential Harvesting Locations:
Asteroid Belt:
A rich source of metals (iron, nickel, etc.) and carbonaceous materials.
Offers a variety of elements, including many trace elements.Comets and Kuiper Belt Objects:
Abundant water ice, organic compounds, and volatiles.
Good sources of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen.Icy Moons (Europa, Enceladus, Titan):
Subsurface oceans provide water and potentially other essential elements.Titan's atmosphere and surface offer organic compounds and nitrogen.
Mars:
Has water ice, and a rocky surface that contains many of the needed minerals.
The atmosphere contains CO2.The Moon:
While depleted in volatile elements, it is a close and easily accessible source of many of the needed minerals.
Challenges and Considerations:Extraction and Processing:
Developing efficient methods for extracting and processing elements from various sources will be crucial.
Energy Requirements:
Mining, refining, and transporting materials will require significant energy resources.
Transportation:
Moving materials across vast distances in the Solar System will be a major logistical challenge.
Radiation Protection:
Humans and resources will need protection from solar and cosmic radiation.
Resource Distribution:
Setting up systems to efficiently distribute resources to growing populations will be essential.
Key Takeaways:The Solar System offers a wide range of resources for human expansion.
Asteroids, comets, and icy moons are particularly promising sources.
Developing advanced extraction and processing technologies is crucial.
Logistics and energy requirements pose significant challenges.
I hope this overview provides a solid foundation for your exploration of this topic. Please feel free to ask any further questions you may have.Thank you for this helpful summary of the problem to be solved in coming centuries. While I'm away, best wishes for similar success as you attempt to help your many other customers.
You're very welcome! I'm glad I could provide a helpful overview. I appreciate your kind words and wish you all the best as well. If you have any further questions when you return, don't hesitate to ask. Have a good one!
I believe that capitalism is a strong candidate for solving the myriad challenges of supply to a Solar System population.
There would appear to be an opportunity to corner the market for iodine and selenium.
The number of businesses needed will rival the profusion we see on Earth in 2025.
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According to this reference, there is just over 1 phosphorus atom for every 100 silicon atoms in the solar system.
https://www.knowledgedoor.com/2/element … ystem.html
So phosphorus isn't particularly rare.
"Plan and prepare for every possibility, and you will never act. It is nobler to have courage as we stumble into half the things we fear than to analyse every possible obstacle and begin nothing. Great things are achieved by embracing great dangers."
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Phosphorus has been detected in cometary nuclei.
https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/ … 70/5911597
There is nothing I can see in the article that indicates what concentration we might expect to find.
Phosphorus is also present in Martian meteorites.
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/14/6/591
I havn't read this paper in detail, but it does state that phosphates are present in all Martian meteorites recovered. The question is whether it is a trace element present in ppm quantities, or something we can extract and use?
Last edited by Calliban (2025-02-25 04:52:53)
"Plan and prepare for every possibility, and you will never act. It is nobler to have courage as we stumble into half the things we fear than to analyse every possible obstacle and begin nothing. Great things are achieved by embracing great dangers."
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