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#1 2006-09-07 10:05:47

Admiral_Ritt
Member
From: Imperial Capital of the Pacifi
Registered: 2005-03-09
Posts: 64

Re: Mercury--Hitting the Mother Lode

I have heard speculation that Mercury was a gas giant at one time and that
the core we seee only remains.   If this is even partially true, and it turns
out that Mercury contains highly dense veins of Vanadium, Platinum, URANIUM,
, plus water at the poles, And more of those somewhat rare but essential materials.
Does not that indicate that Mercury is the place to future raw materials for
the future of Solar System development.

I know that many people claim that the Asteroid belt is the best and most easily
obtainable source of precious raw materials.   (Assuming the moon is just
so much silica and not much else.)  It seems most of the materials available in
the the asteroids: Nickel, Iron, Carbon & Hydrocarbons, H20:  is stuff
that while desireable  is not rare on the Earth.


Yes, Mercury is one hell of a challenge.    But I am willing to be it will be
the colonized for industrial mining, Before any of the Trans-Mars, Planets & Moons
are.

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#2 2006-09-08 12:07:36

Mars_B4_Moon
Member
Registered: 2006-03-23
Posts: 9,776

Re: Mercury--Hitting the Mother Lode

A manned mission to Mercury ain't an easy task, during Solar flares Mercury will experience lethal radiation, temperatures can range from 340 to minus -180, and getting to Mercury and back isn't easy it would need significant launch mass and an interplanetary transit time of about 5 years.

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#3 2006-09-08 16:07:35

Admiral_Ritt
Member
From: Imperial Capital of the Pacifi
Registered: 2005-03-09
Posts: 64

Re: Mercury--Hitting the Mother Lode

Well I'm sure with advances Materials Science some smart
engineers will figure out how to use all that solar raidiation
and put the energy into higher energy launches from mercury.

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