meiza - 18/8/2007 2:04 AMHow about a monopropellant gel of aluminium dust in liquid oxygen? *ducks*
CuddlyRocket - 18/8/2007 8:34 AMAn aluminium/LOX monopropellant rocket has apparently already been successfully tested under a NASA contract, albeit on a small scale.
A_M_Swallow - 18/8/2007 6:50 AMQuoteCuddlyRocket - 18/8/2007 8:34 AMAn aluminium/LOX monopropellant rocket has apparently already been successfully tested under a NASA contract, albeit on a small scale.It sounds like the Lunar Lander Centennial Challenge could do with a third category in 2008 for a craft using a "Moon Manufacturable Fuel". An extra $1 million in prise money could save a fortune down the road.http://www.xprize.org/challenges/lunarlander/2007
A_M_Swallow - 18/8/2007 6:50 AMIt sounds like the Lunar Lander Centennial Challenge could do with a third category in 2008 for a craft using a "Moon Manufacturable Fuel". An extra $1 million in prise money could save a fortune down the road.http://www.xprize.org/challenges/lunarlander/2007
kraisee - 22/8/2007 4:47 PMQuoteA_M_Swallow - 18/8/2007 6:50 AMIt sounds like the Lunar Lander Centennial Challenge could do with a third category in 2008 for a craft using a "Moon Manufacturable Fuel". An extra $1 million in prise money could save a fortune down the road.http://www.xprize.org/challenges/lunarlander/2007That sounds like a damn good idea to me. How could we get such a suggestion considered for future challenges?Ross.
wannamoonbase - 22/8/2007 10:40 PM{snip}If you can get the fuel and oxidizer on the surface then you are really in business. How much smaller is the descent stage if you don't have to take the ascent fuel? Could you have a single ascent/decent stage if you could just refuel it on the surface? What would be the weights savings there?
Tom Ligon - 23/8/2007 7:12 PM{snip}Some form of magnetic capture is obviously more elegant long-term, but you need a presence on the Moon to be able to establish it. In some basins, this trick might take only some bulldozer work. It will, however, require frequent maintenance. I image the dust would be sent flying for huge distances.Early on, with more cargo coming down than going up, this might be a possibility for construction materials. High mass, not life-critical, and rugged payload.
kraisee - 22/8/2007 9:47 PMQuoteA_M_Swallow - 18/8/2007 6:50 AMIt sounds like the Lunar Lander Centennial Challenge could do with a third category in 2008 for a craft using a "Moon Manufacturable Fuel". An extra $1 million in prise money could save a fortune down the road.http://www.xprize.org/challenges/lunarlander/2007That sounds like a damn good idea to me. How could we get such a suggestion considered for future challenges?Ross.
simonbp - 24/8/2007 12:46 AMThe trick is getting the Al and O out of the surface, which is almost totally anorthosite, which is roughly the same chemically as portland cement. Meaning, in order to crack the regolith, no matter how you do it, you need lots and lots of energy, be it nuclear, solar electric, or solar thermal. Either way, you need quite an infrastructure to manufacture fuel on the Moon...Simon