Economy $4 Billion Moon Water Mining Operation for $2.4 Billion Per Year Business

[GhostZ06]

Philip Metzger has a study of mining water on the moon. If water is mined on the moon then it could save satellite missions to geosynchronous orbits about $100 million.

Currently it costs over $100 million for the extra stage to move from low earth orbit or the use of ion thrusters that take one year to move the satellite. The delayed operation is close to the cost of the boost stage.

Water can be mined on the Moon, delivered to a gas station, sold to operators of the space tug, who will then boost the satellite to its final orbit for much less than $100 million per spacecraft.

Here is the link to the 189-page water mining on the moon report.

A wide range of potential customers for the hydrogen and oxygen products has been identified. They can be used to fuel reusable landers going back and forth between the lunar surface and lunar orbit. They can make travel to Mars less expensive if the interplanetary vehicle can be refueled in cislunar space prior to departure. Operations closer to Earth can also benefit from this new, inexpensive source of propellant. Refueling in Low Earth Orbit can greatly improve the size, type, and cost of missions to Geosynchronous Earth Orbit and beyond. This study has identified a near term annual demand of 450 metric tons of lunar derived propellant equating to 2,450 metric tons of processed lunar water generating $2.4 billion of revenue annually.

https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2018/...ration-for-2-4-billion-per-year-business.html

i dont know why the US is so stupid not to invest more in a space economy. We'd be rich beyond all imagination an be able to pay this damn debt.


Also where the hell is Defense/military tag and technology tag?

 

[cincymma79]

Are you saying we should have a space force

 

[Last Samurai]

I guess cleaning up the water here on Earth is out of the question

 

[GhostZ06]

Are you saying we should have a space force

no, its pretty much useless

 

[GhostZ06]

I guess cleaning up the water here on Earth is out of the question

We should do that, i think having money in Science is more important

 

[bad seed]

Old news. This is exactly what Bezos is building his Amazon fortune for. And he had the foresight to plan this decades ago.
https://gizmodo.com/jeff-bezos-details-plan-to-make-blue-origin-the-amazon-1826375233

 

[Last Samurai]

We should do that, i think having money in Science is more important

nevermind, I didn't realize it's for propellant

makes sense to have a source of fuel in space

 

[GhostZ06]

nevermind, I didn't realize it's for propellant

makes sense to have a source of fuel in space

would also be for drinking water too.

 

[IDL]

no, its pretty much useless

But who will protect the water haulers from space pirates?

 

[Ophydian]

would also be for drinking water too.

Imagine the marketing for moon water. Fuck all that iceberg water we got something way older here folks.

I know a few Kardashian’s that would be the shit out of my product.

 

[Ophydian]

But who will protect the water haulers from space pirates?

I think Africa is centuries away from manned missions to lower earth orbit.

 

[Ophydian]

Old news. This is exactly what Bezos is building his Amazon fortune for. And he had the foresight to plan this decades ago.
https://gizmodo.com/jeff-bezos-details-plan-to-make-blue-origin-the-amazon-1826375233

Company I work for his heavy in the drilling industry. I talked to one of our leading geoscience guys the other day about funding for unmanned robotic drilling and he told me we’ve been developing this shit for decades for NASA, we just aren’t allowed to mention it.

 

[GhostZ06]

But who will protect the water haulers from space pirates?

lol humanity isnt spread across space to worry about that

 

[MadSquabbles500]

Have we completely run out of water on the planet? It cant possible be cheaper and faster to get water off the moon, than to get more underground water, or desalinate some ocean.

 

[HockeyBjj]

 

[Otto!]

On a related note, I had a huge crush on Maya as a teenager.

 

[IDL]

Have we completely run out of water on the planet? It cant possible be cheaper and faster to get water off the moon, than to get more underground water, or desalinate some ocean.

I don't think anyone is suggesting we start transporting water to earth. That would be super expensive and pointless.

Would be a resource utilized in space, as the hydrogen and oxygen has uses as fuel.

The weight of fuel is a huge proportion of the cost of moving anything into orbit. Weight = $$$

 

[GhostZ06]

I don't think anyone is suggesting we start transporting water to earth. That would be super expensive and pointless.

Would be a resource utilized in space, as the hydrogen and oxygen has uses as fuel.

The weight of fuel is a huge proportion of the cost of moving anything into orbit. Weight = $$$

it wouldnt be pointless, its those kind of ideas that would help develope industry in space which NEEDS to happen

 

[IDL]

Company I work for his heavy in the drilling industry. I talked to one of our leading geoscience guys the other day about funding for unmanned robotic drilling and he told me we’ve been developing this shit for decades for NASA, we just aren’t allowed to mention it.

Any particular reason for keeping such things on the down low?

I imagine the technology developed will end up in the private sector eventually.

 

[IDL]

it wouldnt be pointless, its those kind of ideas that would help develope industry in space which NEEDS to happen

But if the costs vastly outweigh the benefits it would be a negative. Would be like spending $5000 on a snickers bar. Why would anyone do that?

If you are going to mine something to bring back to earth, it should probably be more valuable in terms of weight/cost than water. Water is very heavy, and very cheap.