April 2021
On Mars as it is on Earth - preparing for settlement
..., but equally to do so on Mars. For on the red planet, exploitation of a natural environment containing a rich biosphere and concentrated fuels is not possible, because it does not exist. Earth’s polar regions are vastly more hospitable than anywhere...
October 2021
Mining lunar hydrogen
... electrolysis allows the production of oxygen. In addition, hydrogen is the keystone for energy production and as a component of rocket fuel. Following the new insights into the Moon’s internal structure being developed by scientists Renee Weber from...
May 2024
Spaceflight revolution on a shoestring
... improves sustainability, as does the use of hydrogen fuel. While it is possible that the required safety levels ... boost to the hydrogen economy, as spaceplanes will use mostly that fuel; the cost of clearing space debris and of setting up a system...
March 2026
Humanity – the potential of space
... may already be underway. If realised, SBSP could supply limitless clean energy, significantly reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. Another underexplored sun-related space resource may soon prove crucial - shade. I’ve long considered the idea...
April 2026
Exploring Mars – the key issues
... might be harder to scale. Nevertheless, without belittling the difficulties, it should be possible to generate all the components of rocket fuel and life support on Mars. Indeed, Mars mission analyst Dr Donald Rapp believes the simplest solution for...
May 2026
Mars exploration – the nuclear option
... a return leg. Every bit of required delta-V increases the fuel mass, which increases the total spacecraft mass, which in turn ...with dynamic parameters such as thrust, exhaust velocity, fuel mass flow and power conversion efficiencies coded into ...
