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#251 2026-05-28 07:28:30
- tahanson43206
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Re: Void Postings
For Void re Artificial Womb ...
Thank you for adding new reports to your important topic:
https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 38#p239538
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#252 2026-06-13 13:36:05
- tahanson43206
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Re: Void Postings
For Void re heating ship bottoms to reduce viscosity
https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 89#p239789
This is an interesting idea. I hope you will do more with it.
Your AI friend might be able to run some numbers to see if it would make a useful difference.
Ships by the many thousands are likely to be in normal service around the world. They all must generate heat to produce power, and lf the energy consumed is likely to reach 30% or so efficiency of motion, then that 70% difference likely goes into the atmosphere right now.
The plumbing required to route hot water around the hull will add greatly to the cost of the ship.
A builder would need to balance costs of installation and maintenance of a system to deliver waste heat to the ocean instead of to the atmosphere against any benefits.
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#253 2026-06-17 11:46:23
- tahanson43206
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Re: Void Postings
For Void re interesting links ...
You and Calliban are doing the heavy lifting right now, while we wait for SpaceNut to figure out how to attract and retain more participants in the forum.
Thanks for the amusing comment on the idea of just a few people on the Moon so don't grow anything.
Whoever wrote that is stuck in a 15th Century mindset. Thankfully we have people like you and Calliban to take a more optimistic view. Science fiction writers have filled the Moon, Mars and many other places with plenty of people (and aliens), so we do have the expansionist view as an alternative.
The next few years should be interesting, if we (humans) can figure out how to put evil into a jug and keep it there.
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#254 2026-06-20 11:12:17
- tahanson43206
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Re: Void Postings
For Void re post in Starfall topic ...
In a recent topic, in June of 2026, you introduced an idea I have not see before: using Lunar material for heat shields.
This may well have been considered and perhaps even studied.
I had a vision of meteors streaking across the sky, and many of them reach the ground. The atoms which are ablated become part of the mix of material in the atmosphere, and perhaps water will eventually collect around some of those particles, leading to welcome rain in some areas, and less welcome in others.
If we are lucky, perhaps a member who knows about such matters will consider it, and more importantly, share with the forum what might be possible and even what might be practical.
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#255 2026-06-20 17:57:21
- tahanson43206
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Re: Void Postings
For Void ....
GW Johnson took a look at your heatshields from Lunar regolith idea...
The result was not encouraging ... Please ask your AI friend to help you show why that is a good idea.
You have unlimited solar power available to make anything you want to make out of Lunar Regolith. The issue is time. GW Johnson appears to believe that carbon is required to make a decent heat shield. I submit for your consideration that perhaps humans are using carbon because we have so much of it, and it never occurred to anyone to try anything else.
Please do NOT take this feedback as directed at you personally, as you so often do.
This feedback is NOT about you personally! It is about an idea you launched into the cosmos! Please let go of the idea and let it sink or swim on it's own!
If the idea is good your AI friend will be able to show it's value. It the idea is terrible, your AI friend should be able to render that judgement.
Either way, the NewMars audience is what matters! We have the opportunity to bring value to our readers, and that includes exposure to good ideas or to bad ones that should be avoided.
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#256 2026-06-21 12:22:40
- tahanson43206
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Re: Void Postings
For Void... just FYI ....
I've been attempting to bring new members into the forum. Today I extended the invitation once again, and the recipient is likely to be reviewing the web site to see if is is suitable for elementary and junior high aged students. We've been operating with a very relaxed atmosphere here, so occasionally old time members may say things that they do not realize would be concerning to parents. I'm sure you won't have a problem, but I thought it might be a good idea to let you know the forum will be under review.
The intention here is to attempt to build up an audience for GW Johnson's class material on elementary ellipses, which is precursor to study of spacecraft navigation.
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#257 2026-07-02 12:57:21
- NewMarsMember
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Re: Void Postings
For Void ...
Re new topic AquaWorlds ...
Would you be willing to edit the title to include the word "water"
There are studies that might be added to the topic if you were willing to include the word "water"
Here is a list of existing topics in Terraformation that contain the word "water"
Your topic appears to be different from the others ...
Para Terra formation of worlds with Nuclear and Water, and TARS by Void [ 1 2 ]
Terraformation 37 2025-08-03 10:01:39 by Void
Water vapour atmosphere creation on Mars by Terraformer
Terraformation 9 2024-08-14 13:38:08 by Void
Comet Harvesting: Water for Mars by tahanson43206
Terraformation 21 2024-05-25 15:30:12 by Mars_B4_Moon
Water as a greenhouse gas and source of Methane and Ozone possibly. by Void
Terraformation 13 2018-12-13 21:05:27 by Void
let cyanobacteria generate the needed water, exploiting hydrogen vents by doctordirt
Terraformation 1 2017-06-22 22:18:17 by SpaceNut
Mars, splitting water. by Void
Terraformation 21 2015-12-10 11:58:10 by tmccormick
Earth-sized sphere of water around the Moon by Tom Kalbfus
Terraformation 7 2014-06-17 12:13:44 by Void
Solaser mantle water extraction... by karov
The topic about enclosing the Moon in water is definitely ** out there **.
Water worlds have been given close attention because they appear to be possible, given the diversity of the Universe.
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Last edited by NewMarsMember (2026-07-02 12:58:01)
Recruiting High Value members for NewMars.com/forums, in association with the Mars Society
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#258 2026-07-02 17:05:30
- Void
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Re: Void Postings
OK, if this "Index» Terraformation» AquaWorlds (Water Holding and Water Transporting Methods)" ,
Is not good enough, then please craft a name and I will use it.
Ending Pending 
Last edited by Void (2026-07-02 17:05:48)
Is it possible that the root of political science claims is to produce white collar jobs for people who paid for an education and do not want a real job?
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#259 2026-07-02 17:49:31
- tahanson43206
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Re: Void Postings
For Void!
Thank you for considering my suggestion ... My hope was that persons looking for waterworlds would find your new topic.
Your explanation of what you have in mind is helpful.
You are (apparently) not thinking about worlds that are mostly or entirely ocean.
The clarification you've proposed should help readers to understand the direction you'd like to go with the new topic.
The reason I picked up on your topic is that I just read a report about scientific research studying weather patterns on worlds with varying amounts of water, from the example of Earth through planets that have only a few mountain peaks standing above the water.
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#260 2026-07-08 09:20:30
- tahanson43206
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Re: Void Postings
For Void! Thank you for bringing Stanford Torus back into view for a day!
https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 65#p240165
That was a significant moment, when leading talent of the time assembled to consider the potential of rotating habitats.
For anyone who might be interested Wikipedia has an article on the subject, and at least one book was published about the design.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_torus
Part of the lore associated with that NASA summer study was the argument about rotation rate. The advocate for 1 RPM won that debate, and everything flowed from that single data point.
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#261 2026-07-09 07:04:41
- tahanson43206
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Re: Void Postings
For Void re post about robots ...
https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 81#p240181
Thank you for this glimpse of the evolution of farming.
Those machines are the result of many minds harnessed in support of visions of what is possible, and beyond what is possible, what is economically self sustaining. Ultimately, the payback for all that thought and hard work is the fruit provided by solar energy.
Humans and their progenitors have been harnessing solar energy for hundreds of thousands of years. It is rewarding to see how the tools have evolved.
Since this is the NewMars forum, I will venture a guess that we will see automation of the growing process on Mars, with the distinction that every growing facility will be enclosed. Automation for those enclosed spaces will be adapted but (I suspect) no less sophisticated.
We (Admins) are venturing into the realm of education in robotics, because there are millions of young minds alive today on this planet, and some of them will find study of robotics rewarding.
The applications of robotic systems (automation such as you have shown us) on Mars is beyond anything achieved on Earth due to the unforgiving nature of the environment. We will need all the human minds able to think at the required level that Earth can produce.
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#262 2026-07-10 20:28:42
- tahanson43206
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Re: Void Postings
For Void re post about possible use of CO as a propellant with LOX...
The post in which this item appears was interesting. Thank you for doing the research to bring those ideas into view.
It is possible that you might have missed a detail due to the large quantity of information you collected.
Please investigate to see if the source for this quote was taken out of context?
Storage: CO liquefies at about -191.5°C, colder than LOX (-183°C), so LOX tanks would need to be insulated to prevent CO from freezing Space Exploration Stack Exchange.
That quote was pulled (apparently) from a web site where people without qualifications are free to make statements that make no sense. If you were willing to take the time to investigate, I would be interested in the facts of this situation. The statement quoted seems to imply that the colder substance might freeze if brought into contact with a warmer substance, so the reader is left unsure of what is proposed.
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#263 2026-07-10 20:54:45
- RobertDyck
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Re: Void Postings
CO & LOX have a Specific Impulse (Isp) of 250 to 290 seconds in vacuum. That's poor. NASA looked at this as a means of Insitu Propellant Production before Robert Zubrin. His improvement was to bring hydrogen from Earth, used the sabatier process to convert to liquid methane. Which has Isp of 350 to 380 seconds. And LCH4 boiling temperature is -127.3°C at 10 bar pressure. So moderate pressure in the tank. Not even as cold as LOX. That makes it easy to work with.
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#264 2026-07-11 09:38:18
- tahanson43206
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Re: Void Postings
For Void ... in a recent post, in mid July 2026, you offered an intriguing idea that Uranium might be found in the oceans of objects other than the Earth.
This is an idea that needs to be pursued to see if can be supported by evidence, or if it must be labeled as pure speculation.
Please see if one of the AI systems can find evidence to support your interesting idea.
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#265 2026-07-11 10:26:32
- RobertDyck
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Re: Void Postings
Mars Odyssey used a gamma ray sensor to detect thorium. It produced a map of thorium concentration across the surface of Mars. Again, this is based on gamma ray emissions, with assumption that gamma is produced by thorium. On Earth, thorium is used as an indicator element to find uranium. That means, when there's thorium, there's a good likelihood there's also uranium. I have argued thorium itself can be used as fuel in a nuclear reactor.
JPL March 2003: Map of Martian Thorium at Mid-Latitudes
NASA same map, but 2 resolutions: Map of Martian Thorium at Mid-Latitudes
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#266 2026-07-15 07:56:17
- tahanson43206
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Re: Void Postings
For Void re study of propulsion using ions...
From quick glances at your many posts I get the impression you are trying to learn about many subjects, and you share little bits of the experience with your readers.
In your recent investigation of propulsion using ions, I was inspired to wonder if any atom (metal or not) might be used for acceleration if it is stripped of electrons. My impression is that cosmic rays are a category of objects which have been accelerated by stellar forces. My impression is that magnetic fields in space must be the force that provides the acceleration our instruments record.
In your study of this phenomenon, have you discovered anything that humans are doing to replicate what nature does?
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#267 2026-07-19 06:41:01
- tahanson43206
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Re: Void Postings
For Void re study of intact glaciers under volcanic debris on Mars (as modeled on Earth)
Thank you for bringing this encouraging speculation to our attention.
It appears that the US may not be in position to follow up on this possibility, but perhaps the Europeans will receive funding that is sufficient to investigate. Please let us know if you find hints that anyone in Europe (or other Nations) might be thinking about creating a probe to discover intact glaciers on Mars. It is possible that existing satellite investigations have collected data that might be sifted to look, but it seems to me that if existing satellites had the ability to detect large quantities of water they would have already done so.
I get the impression that looking for specific atom types from orbit is a hard problem to solve. And looking for hidden glaciers on site would require drilling equipment that is far beyond the little jiggly experiment the first attempt used.
Human relations is going to be a factor if there turns out to be massive quantities of clean water anywhere on Mars. We have seen how such valuable discoveries play out countless times on Earth. In general, a small group claims the valuable resource and tries to get the maximum possible value out of the resource by selling the contents at the highest possible price to the highest bidder.
Violence is often associated with possession of a valuable resource that is held in confinement in order to obtain the best possible price.
There are no people on Mars, but when people arrive, violence will arrive as a potential with every landing capsule.
Now is a good time to think about how valuable resources such as you described might be dealt with so that the maximum benefit is gained without violence.
It seems to me the time to work through these issues is right now, on Earth, before the first human sets foot on Mars.
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#268 2026-07-19 09:49:10
- tahanson43206
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Re: Void Postings
For Void re post about making electricity using pulverized carbon....
the result of the combustion is CO2.
The headline writer probably thought it would be cute to write the words used.
Perhaps it was.
China Just Turned Coal Into Electricity. Without Burning a Single Gram
Oxidation occurs. I suppose the popular use of the word "burn" might account for the wording of the title.
Without the reader imagining a hot fire with smoke rising from a chimney, I suppose the title would have little impact.
I think this is a case of "poet's license".
This would appear to be an energy storage system, in which carbon is used as the energy storage device.
Once the device is charged with pure carbon particles, it appears the CO2 is saved so it cannot be contaminated.
If you have the time and the question is of interest to you, please consider asking your AI friends to explain clearly how this energy storage system works.
It might even be interesting to learn the history of the process. It might turn out that the principles were known 100 years ago.
How does this energy storage system compare to other energy storage systems such as lead acid batteries or lithium batteries, or many other systems invented by humans over history?
It may have distinct advantages, or it might turn out to have so much baggage it is not practical.
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#269 2026-07-25 10:06:28
- tahanson43206
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Re: Void Postings
For Void re recent post in July of 2026 about dust storms...
In the recent post I am thinking about, you mentioned the possibility of power delivered from orbit during dust storms.
You did not specify radio frequency transmission, and neither did CoPilot in reply, so I'm unsure of what you two might have been talking about.
However, your conversation did lead me to wonder if Mars has a geosynchronous orbit. I'm assuming it does, but for whatever reason I've never seen reference to it in any presentation whether video or text.
I could investigate and publish something about it, but it would be better for the forum if a member were to look into the question and publish something about it. If there ** is ** a geosynchronous orbit, then that would be a logical place to put a radio frequency solar powered satellite, because it could feed power to a ground station with reliability. No birds would be injured by flying through the radio frequency beams. The rectenna farm on the surface would need some area but at present there is a reasonable amount of available space on the surface.
If there ** is ** a geosynchronous orbit, then it may be so far from the surface the normal spread of radio waves might reduce the value of this method of transmission. On the other hand, I ** think ** I recall reading of methods of sending radio that concentrate the energy at a smaller area than would naturally be the case.
The invention of "lasers" was preceded by invention of "masers" ... microwave coherent waves ... perhaps those spread less than natural microwave beams?
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#270 2026-07-25 20:50:14
- tahanson43206
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Re: Void Postings
For Void re post about orbits: https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 28#p240528
Thank you for working with CoPilot to provide a rewarding collection of facts about various orbits.
I am pleased to see that the areosynchronous orbit CoPilot reported is actually closer to the surface of Mars than is the corresponding orbit on Earth.
If you are willing to follow up with CoPilot, please ask if the lesser distance for the areosynchronous orbit compared to geosynchronous is due to the slower rotation of the planet Mars, or to some other factor, such as the lesser gravitational force on Mars?
You have reminded us of Japanese study of a lunar base for beamed energy. The distance to be traversed is about 10 times greater, which means that without special measures (such as use of lasers as your report indicates may be considered) the radiation will spread out far more that would be the case from geosynchronous orbit. From this standpoint, an areosynchronous orbit would appear to be favored.
In an earlier conversation with CoPilot it seemed to me we learned that microwaves can pass through a dust storm with minor difficulty, compared to laser waves which are much higher in frequency and shorter in wavelength.
In short, your research appears to have shown that microwave power transmission from orbit is an attractive option for future Mars residents.
Here is the most significant result of your research: It appears that significant power can be delivered to the surface of Mars with only minor investment in infrastructure on Mars itself. In other words, equipment needed to deliver power to the surface of Mars can be shipped from Earth and placed in areosynchronous orbit, while only rectennas are needed on the surface of Mars itself.
This is a stunning result of your investigation.
This is fresh in my mind because of the work by GW Johnson on landers, currently under way.
Each 40 ton shipment to the surface will require clever engineering and massive amounts of power (in the form of propellant) that must be shipped from Earth.
Your discovery means that those 40 ton shipments can be allocated to rectennas and the related power collection and distribution hardware, instead of primary power production equipment such as nuclear reactors or solar panels that only work part of the time.
Your discovery means that future Mars bases can enjoy continuous, reliable power at far less expense than had previously been supposed.
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#271 2026-07-27 06:58:00
- tahanson43206
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Re: Void Postings
For Void re post about Saw horse (and several other topics)...
https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 57#p240557
There ** is ** a scenario where electric propulsion might prove attractive ... launch from the Moon.
I am NOT talking about Dr. O'Neill's famous method, which you have cited in other posts.
Instead, I am interested if you might be willing to ask CoPilot to consider spiraling out away from the surface of the Moon.
This method would use chemical propulsion to achieve horizontal velocity sufficient to skim just above the surface of the Moon, and electric propulsion to slowly spiral out away from the Moon to eventually achieve escape velocity.
I understand you do not claim to be good at math, but if you give CoPilot the opportunity, it might surprise you with it's gifts!
If you do decide to pursue this, please be sure to ask CoPilot to deliver equations and mathematics in a form that forum readers can understand. There are two primary methods, as you know: text only presentation, and presentation with images. ChatGPT has already demonstrated this capability elsewhere in the forum.
If you decide to ask CoPilot to pursue this, there would be two phases to a launch:
1) Accelerate to horizontal velocity using chemical propellant
2) Spiral out to escape velocity using efficient electric propulsion
From a practical point of view, the vessel spiraling out from the Moon will be a danger to objects that get in it's way during the long process.
Never-the-less, this is an idea that would work on any airless body, and you would go down in the history of the forum as the member who first brought it to light.
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#272 2026-07-27 08:27:12
- tahanson43206
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Re: Void Postings
For Void ....
I have NO idea whether CoPilot can create images. All I know is that CoPilot has the same common ancestor as ChatGPT.
Both ChatGPt and Gemini can create images. However, of the two, ChatGPT seems to be more advanced. Here is a sample of it's work:
In the case of the electric propulsion for lunar escape idea, your query might include:
Create image showing equations that govern spiral escape from the Moon.
That is just a suggestion. You would undoubtedly create a more useful query.
A related query might be:
What is the velocity needed to orbit just above the surface of the Moon?
What is the velocity needed to escape the gravity of the Moon?
The difference between those two could be achieved using electric propulsion. That is your potential contribution to the history of the forum.
The velocity just above the surface must be provided by some means. Chemical propulsion is just one possibility.
I ** think ** Calliban may have provided suggestions long ago.
Calliban may have been thinking about an electric railroad? Theoretically, a maglev rail system might accelerate a train (or vehicle) to a high velocity on the Moon. Would such a railway be able to achieve the velocity needed to skim just above the surface? I have no idea.
If it ** would ** then it seems to me you have the opportunity to describe an all-electric lunar escape mechanism.
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#273 2026-07-27 12:40:54
- tahanson43206
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Re: Void Postings
For Void re drawing in post https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 64#p240564
Are you showing a spacecraft tethered to an asteroid for artificial gravity?
If that is what you are showing, it is the first time I have seen such an idea.
A spacecraft could lasso an asteroid, spin itself and the asteroid up to a comfortable G force, and travel in comfort for whatever distance the path of the asteroid provides.
Some advance in technology would be required.
***
Or were you showing us something else?
Update 2026/07/28: Overnight, it came to me that your idea (assuming it ** was ** your idea) of swinging a habitat around an asteroid, could be extended to comets. If a comet (such as Halley's) were enlisted as a habitat site, then it might support a long lived community.
Per Google Search:
Halley's Comet is the most famous short-period comet, returning to Earth's inner solar system roughly every 75 to 76 years. It is the only known short-period comet that is clearly visible to the naked eye from Earth twice in a human lifetime. You can read more about its official tracking data through NASA Science.
Orbit and SizeOrbital Period: Average of 76 years (varies from 74.5 to 79 years due to planetary gravity).
Next Return: Expected back in mid-2061 (last seen in 1986).
Dimensions: Roughly 9.3 by 5 miles (15 by 8 kilometers) across its dark, potato-shaped nucleus.
Path: Highly elliptical orbit stretching from inside Venus's orbit out past Pluto/Neptune.
History and Exploration
Discovery of Pattern: Named after English astronomer Edmond Halley, who proved in 1705 that historical sightings from 1531, 1607, and 1682 were the same object.
It would take some clever engineering to "harness" this object, and part of that process would be to stop the outgassing that makes Halley's so impressive to observers on Earth.
Halley's might be large enough, and blessed with such an abundance of elements, that it might be transformed into an entire rotating habitat, instead of just a habitat swinging around an asteroid.
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#274 2026-07-29 06:20:49
- tahanson43206
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Re: Void Postings
For Void re post about various electric drives: Thanks for that helpful compare and contrast. It seems to me it would be helpful for someone trying to plan a mission.
I do have a question about another recent post: What is "artificial labor".
Until you created this concept, humans thought of labor as work done.
In the absence of labor, work is not done.
A worker doing "manual labor" is expending energy to move mass around.
A worker doing "intellectual labor" is moving electrons around, with results not apparent.
Your introduction of a new modifier for "labor" would appear to be a contrast with "real" "labor".
Or perhaps your new term is a contrast with "natural labor".
Or perhaps your new term is a contrast with "human labor".
Update: In a post in late July, 2026, Void asked CoPilot to explain the term "artificial labor". CoPilot provided a long explanation that looks to me like an apology for introducing a useless modifier to the long established term "labor". It appears to be connected to the term "Artificial intelligence", so it might turn out that "artificial intelligence" does "artificial labor".
"artificial gravity" is clearly different from "natural gravity" but the distinction between "natural labor" and "artificial labor" seems small. The term might be understood as a shortcut for "labor performed by machines" but we have had that for thousands of years.
It appears to me that some wordsmith somewhere thought this was a clever combination of two otherwise perfectly good words.
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#275 2026-07-29 11:48:00
- tahanson43206
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Re: Void Postings
For Void re lunar electric launch ...
GW Johnson just asked me to post an update to the new Lunar Launch topic.
Would you be willing to ask CoPilot to add a bit of detail?
The scenario of interest is an all-electric launch:
1) Rail gun or perhaps a maglev railroad would produce acceleration to push the payload to a loop with apogee at about 50 km
What velocity would CoPilot recommend for that phase of the flight?
GW Johnson estimates the required velocity is about 70% of escape velocity. Please confirm that.
2) Some method is needed to circularize the orbit
Can CoPilot suggest an electric method, or would it recommend a chemical method? What dV is needed at that point?
3) The final phase is all-electric slow acceleration to reach escape velocity.
Which of the various methods you reported on recently would be best for this phase
***
After reaching escape, there is a significant problem of aligning the orbital plane of the vessel with the plane needed for the destination phase.
Please ask CoPilot if the normal movement of the Moon provides a periodic alignment of the launch orbit with the orbital plane of any destination?
How often will these alignment windows occur?
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