this post was submitted on 30 Jan 2024
144 points (87.9% liked)

Space

8715 readers
22 users here now

Share & discuss informative content on: Astrophysics, Cosmology, Space Exploration, Planetary Science and Astrobiology.

Rules

  1. Be respectful and inclusive.
  2. No harassment, hate speech, or trolling.
  3. Engage in constructive discussions.
  4. Share relevant content.
  5. Follow guidelines and moderators' instructions.
  6. Use appropriate language and tone.
  7. Report violations.
  8. Foster a continuous learning environment.

Picture of the Day

The Busy Center of the Lagoon Nebula

Related Communities

๐Ÿ”ญ Science

๐Ÿš€ Engineering

๐ŸŒŒ Art and Photography

Other Cool Links

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
Bitswap@lemmy.world
Agamemnon@lemmy.world
L7ePvmEn@lemmy.world
otter@lemmy.ca
otter@lemmy.world
144
Japan's moon probe landed upside-down but somehow it still works (www.businessinsider.com)
submitted 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) by ooli@lemmy.world to c/space@lemmy.world
31 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

nations flock to the cratered south pole and far side of the moon, where critical resources such as water could be mined.

Is capitalism so prevalent, we're running out of ocean already?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[โ€“] NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 8 points 9 months ago

Water is:

  • a source of oxygen for breathing
  • a source of hydrogen for rocket fuel
  • a source of hydrogen for fuel cells for power generation
  • for drinking (obviously)
  • for sanitation
  • for growing food
  • fantastic radiation shielding (important when you don't have an atmosphere to absorb solar radiation) - embed water tanks in your habitat walls or just mount them on the outside - nice layer of cancer prevention

So yeah, there's too many uses for water in space and it's really difficult to lift into orbit from Earth. Even if some future moon base starts producing an excess of water, it'll be used to resupply other space habitats or vehicles.