M Thomas Apple Author Page

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Chandraan-3 rover finds…sulfur on the Moon?

September 1, 2023
MThomas

c/o ISRO

India’s Moon rover is making tracks…

One main reason for landing at the Moon’s South Pole is that the presence of water would help us build permanent settlements…

This region on the moon is an attractive place for humans to build a lasting presence due to the fact that water ice is located underfoot. Future moon-dwellers can potentially tap into that water for consumption, or even to create rocket propellant, instead of depending on water shipped from Earth.

https://www.space.com/chandrayaan-3-sulfur-surprising-composition-lunar-south-pole-soil

Another reason has now been found…iron, manganese, aluminum, titanium…and “surprisingly” sulfur. Why should they be surprised? It’s already been established that the Moon has ice, and sulfur forms every time hydrocarbon and sulfates combine. Plus sulfur obviously results from volcanic activity, and it’s likely the Moon was volcanic when it first formed. And sulfur is also produced through nuclear fusion – i.e., the Sun.

So what can we do with this knowledge?

Having a more complete chemical composition of the lunar south pole area means future travelers to — and possible inhabitants of — the region can also plan for what else they don’t need to bring from Earth. In particular, some scientists have suggested moon-dwellers could use sulfur in bits of infrastructure such as building materials, solar cells and batteries.

Hmmm…I think more studies are needed first…define “bits,” for example.

“Rock. Rock. Rock. Rock. Rock. Rock. METEORITE!”

March 7, 2023
MThomas

The mysterious object’s lovely silver metallic hue stands out like a sore thumb in the surrounding, rust-colored landscape, a sulfate-bearing region of the Red Planet’s Mount Sharp.

https://futurism.com/the-byte/mars-rover-metallic-meteorite?fbclid=IwAR03ztaeMMhJWITitMIwXRsF_pfsE7_p2LUS-hGinBAHzrnW0LfZ5gPxU1o

Yes, they’re actually calling the meteorite fragment “Cacao.” Sigh.

Too bad Curiosity can’t take any samples. Perseverance can, but it’s too far away.

Curiosity has stumbled across several other such rocks previously, like “the Beast” and “Lebanon.” Sadly, none can be dated.

But the fact that there are so many of these impacted on the surface of Mars shows additional risks that any human mission might face…

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