Difference between revisions of "Minerals"
(New page: '''Minerals''' are natural resources needed as raw material for setup and extension of settlements on Mars. From recent unmanned missions some valuable minerals have been found...) |
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This mineral has been found in [[Gusev Crater]]. | This mineral has been found in [[Gusev Crater]]. | ||
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| + | ==Open Issues== | ||
| + | *How exactly can iron, magnesium, etc. be extracted out of these minerals? What we need here are simple processes, allowing the exploitation with limited chemical and energy resources on Mars. The processing should be strictly [[hi-tech versus lo-tech|lo-tech]]. | ||
[[Category: Geology]] | [[Category: Geology]] | ||
Revision as of 00:41, 7 January 2008
Minerals are natural resources needed as raw material for setup and extension of settlements on Mars. From recent unmanned missions some valuable minerals have been found, most of them by the Mössbauer spectrometer MIMOS II.
Contents
Goethite
Chemical formula: α-FeO(OH)
This mineral has been identified near the touch down place of the rovers Spirit and Opportunity, for example at "Columbia Hills". This mineral was probably created from iron under the influence of liquid water.
Hematite
Chemical formula: α-Fe2O3
This mineral has been found at the touch down place of Opportunity.
Olivine
Chemical formula: (Mg,Fe)2SiO4
This mineral has been found in Gusev Crater.
Open Issues
- How exactly can iron, magnesium, etc. be extracted out of these minerals? What we need here are simple processes, allowing the exploitation with limited chemical and energy resources on Mars. The processing should be strictly lo-tech.
