http://www.marstravel.org/2011/12/mars-photo-of-day-dec-20-2011.html
Quote from: KelvinZero on 05/28/2015 09:31 amQuote from: Mr. Scott on 05/27/2015 01:43 pmIce Domes on Mars? btw what crater was that?You have to go to Google Earth, and select Mars mode. Then toggle HIRISE imagery under "Spacecraft Imagery" and search for PSP_007230_2170.
Quote from: Mr. Scott on 05/27/2015 01:43 pmIce Domes on Mars? btw what crater was that?
Ice Domes on Mars?
KelvinZero, as an advocate if colonization, I try to think like SpaceX. IMHO this means an initial base for the exploration of Mars that will grow into a base for colonization, which will then grow into one of a series of towns around the planet. The choice of initial HSF landing site should help achieve the long-range goals. I like your opening paragraph but I might rearrange priorities as follows:...I am not an expert on the geology of Mars, but the site near Valles Marineras recommended by sghill in Reply #9 above seems to meet these requirements rather well.
...I happen to think the wash out area near the exit from Valles Marineris would be an amazing place for exploration and mining...
I can't remember if I mentioned any priorities. I might have deleted that bit. Anyway Im not trying to sell any agenda of my own. I welcome anyone to suggest any site for any criteria that appeal to them.Quote from: sghill on 05/27/2015 06:13 pm...I happen to think the wash out area near the exit from Valles Marineris would be an amazing place for exploration and mining...If this spot is popular maybe people can dig up more info about it. Im hazy about which places on mars we have extreme detail on. I will probably know more soon.
... someplace photogenic. ...Landing in the heart of Valles Marineris would be a prime example I'd suggest. There's science and even a sense of romance in exploring a new not just grand, but titanic canyon. Only climbing to Olympus Mons' summit would top interest ratings, but that would be a feat even riskier with current means.
SpaceX's recent travel poster builds on the common misconception that this tallest of volcanoes must be steep and craggy, while the shield volcano actually has a gentle profile with an average slope of only 5°. But what about Valles Marineris? Does it live up to it's Grand Canyon comparison? Does this rift valley have sheer cliff faces into which tunnels could be bored?~Kirk
Speaking about denser air making a difference to the efficiency of gas processing. What sites if any are near the equator and at least 5Km below MOLA? You'd have to go that far to make a realistic difference and not just a fractional difference.
We could devise a spreadsheet: each row is a candidate site, each column a feature.Some possible columns:- Distance (km) from nearest known surface ice- Atmosphere pressure (pascals)- Temperature range (degrees C)- etc
water in lower latitudes?
Quote from: KelvinZero on 05/22/2015 07:40 amwater in lower latitudes?I thought that Valles Marineris was supposed to be dry, but this 2014 Geomorphology article suggests otherwise: One million cubic kilometers of fossil ice in Valles Marineris: Relicts of a 3.5 Gy old glacial landsystem along the Martian equator.The Water Equivalent Hydrogen Abundance map which KelvinZero linked was generated from data collected by Mars Odyssey's Neutron Spectrometer (part of the Gamma Ray Spectrometer instrument suite) which was sensitive to concentrations of hydrogen in the upper meter of the surface and would not have detected the buried glacier remnants Marine Gourronc and her coauthors are describing.~Kirk
I thought that Valles Marineris was supposed to be dry, but this 2014 Geomorphology article suggests otherwise: One million cubic kilometers of fossil ice in Valles Marineris: Relicts of a 3.5 Gy old glacial landsystem along the Martian equator.The Water Equivalent Hydrogen Abundance map which KelvinZero linked was generated from data collected by Mars Odyssey's Neutron Spectrometer (part of the Gamma Ray Spectrometer instrument suite) which was sensitive to concentrations of hydrogen in the upper meter of the surface and would not have detected the buried glacier remnants Marine Gourronc and her coauthors are describing.~Kirk
10m of cover and you have a herculean task of removing the overburden and you're back to drilling/heating.
Quote from: Russel on 05/30/2015 10:41 am10m of cover and you have a herculean task of removing the overburden and you're back to drilling/heating.Yes, but once you have a drilled well and can lower a heat generator into it to melt the ice, you have a source of water that could serve a growing colony for many years.