[Mars] production plant - was - Re: Post conference

[Mars related topics]

Hi all

Yes I'm back, don't pay the ransom as I escaped!
(Aliens took me to New Jersey...)

Mars related topics wrote:
> Thanks!
> 
> It's been a busy week.  

Very busy several weeks.

> The propellant production plant sounds cool..  I'm not familiar with 
> Zurbin's design.  Do you have a reference I might look up?

I'm not aware of any design details being available, but we can ask him. 
  Also as it is mostly old technology it should not be too hard to 
figure out... ya right.

> I'm working on lots of stuff right now, but if there's anything that 
> I might be able to help with I'm most willing.

Same here, once there is a design I can make parts (I'm a machinist).

> What kind of environment were you looking for to operate the system?
> I'm guessing cold, low atmosphere eventually?  
> 
> one thing to consider -- 

Could one use a membrane that mostly only passes CO2 and thus have a 
more realistic operating environment?  It seems I've heard of such 
membranes.

Or as a quick and dirty simulation environment just feed it from a 
bottle of CO2 regulated down to mars atmospheric pressure.

>  to design/build where people, machines and resources are readily available,
>  then move the device to a place replicating martian environment 

Seems reasonable, as the first ones on mars will almost certainly be 
built here.

>   -or-
>  to design/build in the closest thing we can get to a similar environment

No need at this point, just to build it at all will be a big enough 
challenge.

> Do you think making the instrument(s)/system is likely to have a semi-parallel
> use on Earth?  Maybe to help with current energy problems, or come up with 
> viable alternative energy possibilities here on earth?  If there is, even
> in a minor way - we might be able to find some people willing to fund the 
> effort?  maybe NSF, NASA, DOE, or maybe even some private industry?

Yes it could be very useful here.
Seeking funding from government/industry is exceedingly time/resource 
consuming.  And as a simple demo unit should not be overly expensive to 
build, we can probably do ourselves, no?

> If we can get something working 100% on earth (and useful to earthlings) that's 
> 90+% of the way to working on mars...
> 
> 1) we can get earth people/monies to fund (earth) prototypes... 
> 
> 2) we can get earth people/monies to fund (earth) manufacturing and production...
> 
> 3) we can get profit from earth people/monies based on these products..
> 
>    TO FUND THE NEXT 10% to make it work on MARS...

Agreed, but first a small demo unit is needed.

> I have some ideas, but I'm in the process of wading through a significant amount of 
> red tape to implement my own ideas.
> 
> At this point I could volunteer time and knowledge,  on projects not my own, but
> resources and money I'm lacking...  
> 
> Scott, do you have my email address? 
> 
> Thank you for your patience,
> -Roy Nielsen
> (amrobot at mindspring.com)

Make it a great day.
-- 
Terry Mackintosh <terry at mackintoshweb.com>
http://www.mackintoshweb.com/mars/ Mars Society, FL chapter.
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