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by ewams 1021 days ago
Takes CO2 and extracts one oxygen molecule. Really neat they can do that with Mars' thin atmosphere .

Does anyone know if there is a similar process that can separate both oxygen molecules and the carbon molecule? Then use the C to 3d print things and the oxygen to breathe/fuel/etc? Probably energy limited?
2 comments
gus_massa 1021 days ago
More details from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Oxygen_ISRU_Experiment the reaction is

2 CO2 + heat --> 2 CO + O2

CO is a gas, so they let it escape. (It's toxic for mammals (in particular humans), but there is no one around to worry about. It will get transformed back to CO2 in the atmosphere when we react with something else that has an oxygen to steal. And in extremely low concentrations it's not a problem. So it's safe to let it escape for now.)

It's energy limited. You need heat to make the transformation.,

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marcosdumay 1021 days ago
Hum... There are plenty of ways to turn that CO into plastics, like the GP wants (but all will require even more energy).
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semi-extrinsic 1021 days ago
If you go to pure C, you get a solid that's hard to work with. So you stay with the CO which is a gas, you add H2 to get syngas, and then you can Fischer-Tropsch your way into ethylene and propylene, which is your feedstock for polyethylene (as in HDPE) and polypropylene (PP).
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panick21_ 1021 days ago
On Mars its really all about energy. We have plenty of C and O and if we get water, you can already make so many different things already.

We desperately need to develop a big surface nuclear reactor that fits on a Starship. Without that Mars just isn't gone work. Laying out 100s of football fields of solar panels is just stupid in comparison.

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Beached 1020 days ago
sure in comparison, but we have the existing technology, and capability to lay out 100 football fields of solar on Mars if we wanted to, today. it may cost a metric ton, but we.could do it.

we straight up don't have the ability to build a big surface buclear reactor on Mars. we probably could develop that capability, but until then, it isn't stupid to brute force a large solar installation until something better comes along.

solar likely would be used along side things like kilo power and maybe traditional generators slightly modified until that day comes. it's not stupid do do inefficient thing now, when you don't have a real alternative.

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panick21_ 1020 days ago
> existing technology, and capability to lay out 100 football fields of solar on Mars if we wanted to, today

No we don't actually. Not in a ready state to deploy to Mars and maintain and set up automatically.

I would say deploying small submarine navy reactors is closer to being a real thing.

> we straight up don't have the ability to build a big surface buclear reactor on Mars

I didn't say 'build it on Mars'. I said, put in on Starship and land it on Mars.

> it isn't stupid to brute force a large solar installation until something better comes along.

Technology doesn't magically fall from the sky. 'Something better' doesn't magically show up one day saying 'Hi, I'm ready'.

NASA does targeted development investment and spending to get the capabilities they need.

Everybody interested in Space has for 50 years known that space nuclear is a necessary part of the future and because of dumb politics NASA has done almost nothing.

> it's not stupid do do inefficient thing now

We are not flying to Mars right now ...

> when you don't have a real alternative.

If you refuse to develop an alternative your not gone have one.

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