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On the way to Mars and Once you get to Mars, you will obviously have to carry oxygen with you. Will oxygen be brought back and forth from Earth to refill the supply? How long would you expect it to last once you got to Mars.? Once you get there there will probably be a certain amount of oxygen to use. How do you expect to get a refill of oxygen once on Mars?
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I believe I am correct in saying that there is some oxygen on Mars. So, oxygen could be collected from the atmosphere.
However, if there is water on Mars, as recent findings have suggested, than the water could be broken down and the oxygen could be used for breathing and the hydrogen for fuel cells. This would be an even better solution than just collecting oxygen from the atmosphere, because you would be killing two birds with one stone.
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I didn't think hydogen fuel cells would work in a CO2 environment. Also, the amount of power gained from the fuel cell, even if it did work, would pale in comparison to the amount of power used to electrolyze the water in the first place.
- Mike, Member of the [b][url=http://cleanslate.editboard.com]Clean Slate Society[/url][/b]
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I imagine the best way to produce oxygen would be through the plants you use for food provided you could find enough water on Mars to irrigate such large plots of land. If there's not enough water on Mars for growing food I get the feeling a large permanent Mars base will be very difficult to sustain anyway.
To achieve the impossible you must attempt the absurd
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For a real good read about oxygen and resources on mars, try Zubrin's "First Landing." Just finished it, makes me want to see people go to mars asap
--in the book instead of bringing large amounts of oxygen, water and fuel, they bring some hydrogen. A fuel maker is sent out unmanned and in a year collects enough oxygen from the co2 atmosphere to launch a large earth return vehicle. They also actually mine the regolith and microwave it to extract trace water (wow) then in a dire fix, they go prospecting for water with a drill. It's great.
What i'd reallly like to see is the "in situ" fuel experiment actually done on Mars, collecting o2 from the co2 atmosphere to maufacture water and rocket fuel -- in my opinion probably the biggest piece of the puzzle for going to mars soon and for a reasonable price. At the current rate NASA may take another decade. Maybe after the mice fly, the Mars Society should push for this mission. Zubrin for President!
Jay
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