Sources of Hydrogen and Oxygen for settlements

--- In spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com, "Combs, Mike"
>
> From: spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of makenamicro
>
> > If heated in a vacuum, it gives off Hydrogen.
>
> I'm sure the amounts of hydrogen would be relatively minor. Worth
> hanging onto if given off in the course of extracting other desired
> elements, certainly, but probably not worth doing for its own sake.
>
> But before I leave the subject of lunar hydrogen: I've heard
interesting
> comments on that science paper disputing lunar ice. I heard one
> scientist say that the press briefings where not as carefully
qualified
> as the paper itself. The paper doesn't dispute the presence of ice,
> only the existence of thick slabs of ice. He said that was a bit
of a
> straw man; nobody had really expected it to be in the form of thick
> slabs. Fine grains of ice distributed in the soil is a much more
likely
> form, and cannot be ruled out based on the radar returns. That
hydrogen
> detected from two different probes has to be coming from somewhere.
>
> I heard one commentator say that fine grains of ice is actually a
better
> outcome from a retrieval standpoint, saying that thick slabs would
not
> be as easy to break up as the kind of ice we're used to on Earth,
since
> it would be at cryogenic temperatures.
>
> > By launching these into Earth orbit from the surface of Luna,
> > it will require only 1/36 the fuel that launching from Earth
> > would require.
>
> True, but even more significantly, since the lunar surface is in
vacuum,
> horizontal launch off the surface via EM forces becomes practical,
> offering significant savings over chemical rockets.
>
> > Lunar mines would sell materials for the first true space station
> > to be built in earth orbit. The station would in turn offer ship
> > construction as well as scientific returns.
>
> Lunar mining would probably only make sense in the context of
> construction programs measuring into the megatons, which is why SPS
> construction is usually the main industry proposed in conjunction
with
> lunar mining. On the other hand, in any situation where lunar
materials
> were being used to make SPS, and we additionally also wanted to
build
> large space stations and manned ships for exploration, no doubt the
> existing infrastructure would be used to build these from lunar
> materials as much as possible. I'm only cautioning that building a
few
> space stations and some exploratory ships would probably not by
> themselves fully justify lunar mines, mass drivers and catchers, and
> orbital ore refineries and manufacturing centers.
>
> Regards,
>
> Mike Combs
>

No, but mine shafts on the moon could be turned into "hotels", and
robots could significantly reduce the initial mining costs.

I am only speaking generally, in that without a viable ROI, it doesnt
seem possible to move forward.

Kindly remember, I am new to the group and thanks to all for elping
me clarify the main issues.

BTW...umm... what is an SPS?