this post was submitted on 30 Jan 2024
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No mining of the Moon. Leave it alone. If we are to explore (not exploit) space, do it sustainably.
Getting water in space for making fuel and oxygen, drinking, sanitation and growing plants will be way more sustainable than lifting water off of Earth for use in space.
Water is an absolutely essential resource but it's heavy and it doesn't compress (you can't make it smaller to fit on a rocket). Lifting water mass into orbit is ridiculously expensive in terms of rocket fuel and vehicle use.
The moon is a dead rock. There's no ecology to disturb. It's nearby (comparatively), and a much easier target to land on than an asteroid, but also relatively easy to take off from again after you've landed. We should get water there if we can.
Probably dumb idea, but what about taking hydrogen and oxygen, both of which can be compressed?
Plus, when you make water with them, they go bang, which definitely has some applications
Mass is mass
People forget that no matter how you stack it. It is only the number of protons and neutrons that matter.