Economics of producing return fuel from spacecraft

¶ … Economics of a Fuel-Producing Mars

Human beings have long since been fascinated with the stars. Myths tell of their origin. Legends tell of their destinies. So it's no surprise that we are on the very edge of a breakthrough in the exploration of the Final Frontier as Gene Roddenberry's Captan Picard of Star Trek called it. Space is a dangerous place, so before any excursion to another planet, let alone another star system, we must have adequate safety measures to get our explorers there and, more importantly, get them home.

Americans landed on feet-first on the moon in 1969 -- or didn't, depending on your perspective -- and with that achievement, Mars became the next target for American space superiority. But a trip to Mars requires significantly more time, more money, and carries with it more risk. The first obstacle is first and foremost the 220 million kilometers between Earth and Mars. Conventional rocket technology only allows for a small launch window every two years and even then, a round-trip between the planets would require almost a two-year commitment including travel, time spent on the ground, and waiting for the right alignment for a return trip. Aside from the exposure of Astronauts to high-levels of cosmic radiation, extended weightlessness would wreak havoc on bone density, and the psychological effects would be completely unknown. Astronauts and flight command alike would need to carefully ration food, water, and fuel to allow for a return journey. Damage to the stores of any of the stores above would prove lethal.

Thus, conventional rockets have yet to put a human on Martian soil. A more efficient delivery vehicle could get us there faster, but if a remote refueling station were built in orbit or upon the Martian surface then ships traveling to the red planet could burn longer and harder knowing they could swap energy cells, refill tanks, recharge batteries or whatever power source they were using. Ships would be lighter, further increasing their efficiency. Greater accessibility would boost trips to the surface exponentially, building upon new developments in rocket technology. Science fiction could very well become science fact. but, as every house needs a foundation, any fuel producing base on Mars would need infrastructure.

Given Mars' differing geological structure, a mining operation will be limited by the minerals and resources found on the planet. While laser analysis has estimated where the richest deposits are, it will ultimately require physical exploration of the soil. Explorative core sample would need to be taken and processed before a large-scale operation could begin. Most of the initial work would need to be performed by remote vehicles and robots again, to minimize the risk to humans. Processing and production equipment could be designed and built on Earth, then shipped via rocket to unpack itself after landing on Mars. After a small stockpile of fuel was processed and stored, a manned mission to the Martian surface could build more permanent facilities for larger operations and more frequent trips, each time increasing production and the size and scope of Martian operations. it's a piece of cake, but extremely expensive.

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover (MER) cost $820 million to build and operate, plus several multimillion dollar mission extensions.

Unless we have a drastic reduction in cost a future rover orientated towards mining would require an equal amount, if not more, capital investment. Once drill sites have been established then facilities could be constructed opening a whole new range of difficulties. A 28 minute delay (as with Mars Rover Sojourner) would disallow remote operators from receiving data in real-time. Multilayered controls would allow machine autonomy while operating within a set of boundaries. Researchers at the Autonomous Systems Laboratory in Australia were able to operate a remote drag-line excavator remotely for 50 consecutive dig cycles lasting 53 minutes with no operator interference.

Computer algorithms calculated the size and scope of each dig cycle while laser analysis determined when each bucket was full while digital terrain maps evaluated landscape changes. Though the great distances involved would make excavation on Mars more challenging, ultimately, it requires the same basic technique modified for the specific landscape.

Once extracted, the minerals and ores would need to be processed, also difficult given the great distances. Once again, machinery would need a great deal of autonomy with regular checkups from ground controllers. The Mars Direct Mission, detailed in part in 1998 report, suggests a staggered operation in which unmanned exploratory rovers would be sent prior to a ground crew in order to spur resource production ahead of human presence. Secondary backup craft would also be sent alongside to serve as return vehicles. Astronauts could use the rovers to explore dig sites in transit to Mars reducing downtime and reducing timing differences as the crew moves closer. Once on the surface, the mining crew would be able to work at much greater efficiency, building production and housing facilities eventually allowing the base to become completely self-sufficient. Most everything aside from the human crew would be sent one-way, reducing transit times returning to earth as ships would be lighter and carrying less. Abundance of ore could be stored on the martian surface waiting for another crew or further development of mining operations.

Truly, the limitations of a remote, off-world mining operations are only what we allow them to be, in this case, capital investment. The technology required to produce raw materials and then refine them in situ exists today. Advances in automated computer technology make the physical operation that much easier and less risky while experimental rockets and propulsion techniques, such as the VASIMIR (Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket)