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Mining Mars from Houston

Posted by michael on from the workarounds dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Computer simulations of what bits of Earth, Mars and Venus might be found on the moon point to new methods for extraterrestrial sample return. Because the moon is lifeless, its sterile condition gives a very rare laboratory for collecting what may be as high as 3 grams of Earth's past, from the half-ton of lunar rocks and soil that Apollo returned for study [3 grams (Earth-terran), 0.03 grams (Mars), 0.003 grams (Venus)]. While such interplanetary exchanges are now thought common, what is surprising is these pristine samples often have never exceeded a temperature of around 100 F. Any similar planetary samples found today in, say, Antarctica, would have been weathered, eroded, or contaminated."

3 of 63 comments (clear)

  1. Here's the link by DredPirateRoberts · · Score: 5, Informative
    This article is what I was thinking of.

    --
    "All animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others." - George Orwell
  2. ASTEROID sample return. by zzztkf · · Score: 5, Informative

    Japan's space agency,ISAS, is attepmting to send
    a probe to asteroid 1998SF36 and get sample to
    retrun to Earth.

    Launch will take place 2003, May.

    http://www.isas.ac.jp/e/index.html

  3. Funding un-manned mining... by billysara · · Score: 5, Funny

    Funding research on bringing back oil/minerals from high-radiation, toxic environments will certainly come in handy if the middle-east goes nuclear....

    Yes, I'm feeling cynical today..... :-)