" Re: [mstechnology] iron in soil .. once .. carbonyl extraction work
is done, the remaining regolith is practically iron free.

.. using Iron Carbonyl production, the Iron is
drawn off as a carbonyl
vapor. (.. we do not need an electromagnet...)

unrefined regolith
goes in (maybe sorted by particle size) the mix is
heated to 120° C with CO
and the pressure is raised a bar or two.  The gas is
drawn off leaving the
SiO2, CaO, etc all as they were.  The gas is
depressurized and cooled with
the Fe(CO)5 condensing out for our use!!

Iron Carbonyl Production
Fe + 5CO => Fe(CO)5 120° C liquid, vaporizes at modest

pressures

Iron Deposition from Iron Carbonyl
Fe(CO)5 => Fe + 5CO at 200° C.
----------------

As for Nitrogen additions to the soil, let's kill two
stones with one bird
;-)  instead of shipping raw Hydrogen as the seed fuel

for the Sabatier
ISPP, ship Ammonia NH4 instead.  Then the Nitrogen
fixing bacteria have
something to work with.  Plus Ammonia is much easier
to control than liquid
H2.

...

> > inorganic chemistry or biological such as worms or
> > composting, will
> > just move the elements around. To change an
> > elemental concentration
> > will require adding or removing from the closed
> > system.
>
Concur, the microbes and other biologics will
radically change the chemical
compounds, but the net atomic element values will stay

constant.


>That's why desalination in a CELSS (via edible
>recreting halophytes) is a MUST DO! - TK
Terry, Have you posted notes on these beasties
(weedies)?

> > Another problem listed is fertiliser and pesticide
> > contamination of
> > ground water.
Just say no to the chemical poison culture, everything

we do in the CELSS is
fixated on the long term effects, not short term
profit. So no toxic
pesticides and such.  We will be carefully
manipulating the various level of
compounds, but not like the "current style".
Also, Terry's work on the CELSS yeilds fully potable
water without major
gyrations and the solid particulates cycle back as
organic fertilizer, and
the biomass of the system is recomposted either before
or after
consumption!! ..Derrick"


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GreenCELSSTaskFORCE/message/999

NASA Shuts Down X-33, X-34 Programs
By Leonard David, Senior Space Writer
01 March 2001

WASHINGTON -- NASA announced Thursday that the problem-plagued X-33
spaceplane project, a venture that aimed to create a single-stage-to-
orbit spaceliner, has been scrapped. In addition, the American space
agency announced that another reusable rocket, the X-34, is being
axed.

In total, these NASA resolutions add up to over $1 billion worth of
canceled projects.

"Obviously, there's a lot of disappointed folks, and I'm one of
them," said Arthur Stephenson, director of NASA's Marshall Space
Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The center is NASA's lead work
force in creating vehicles for routine and low-cost access to space.

Stephenson said that NASA will not add funds to the X-33 or X-34
programs from money dedicated to the agency's Space Launch Initiative
(SLI). NASA's SLI is designed to push forward technology development
for concepts that would be able to launch payloads for NASA,
commercial and military missions, as well as fly crews to and from
the International Space Station.

The decision by NASA Thursday terminates work on the X-33, a
cooperative project between NASA and the lead industrial partner for
the project, the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, Stephenson said.

The X-34 contract will expire, and rocket builder Orbital Sciences
Corporation of Dulles, Virginia was notified of the decision,
Stephenson said.

NASA has spent to date $912 million on the X-33, with another $205
million expended on the X-34 project.

In the case of the X-33, Lockheed Martin had invested $356 million of
its own monies in the effort to create a single-stage-to-orbit
vehicle, Stephenson said.

The decision to terminate both X-33 and X-34 were made internally by
NASA and were not a White House decision, Stephenson said.

"What we're hearing from industry and our own evaluation is that we
believe a single-stage-to-orbit vehicle for a second-generation
vehicle [a follow-on to the space shuttle] is not viable at this
time. We are focusing on multi-stage, beginning with a two-stage
vehicle," Stephenson said.

http://space.com/missionlaunches/missions/x33_cancel_010301.html

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/no_asteroid_010301.h
tml

"Asteroid 2001 DO47 is actually NASA's WIND spacecraft
[http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/service/gallery/fact_sheets/spacesci/wi
nd.htm], launched in 1994. NASA says the craft was to go into a
"sun-ward, multiple double-lunar swing-by orbit ... followed by a halo
orbit at the Earth-Sun L-1 (Lagrangian) point."

I suppose NASA wouldn't like it if we started mining on this NEO...

As regards the precious (and "strategic") metals such as the platinum
group, cobalt, gold, gallium, germanium, and others, the lower the Fe-
Ni metal content, the more enriched this Fe-Ni metal is in these rare
and precious metals and elements. These elements readily dissolve
into the metal that exists, and the less metal that exists, the less
diluted they are. Many asteroids are richer in most of these metals
than the richest Earth ores which we mine. Further, these metals all
occur in one ore when it comes to asteroids. As discussed later in
this chapter, the exact same process used to extract and separate
these precious metals from the world's largest nickel ore mine at the
Sudbury Astrobleme in Canada is easily used in space, and is a simple
process using only carbon, sulfur and oxygen, all of which can be
derived from asteroids, too.

http://www.permanent.com/a_meteor.htm


So it looks like we don't need to hunt for asteroids high in Iron-
Nickel content.  Just a little may be better.  5%?  10%?

Interesting.

~George (cygonaut)
http://www.cygo.com/

The Carbonaceous Chondrites are by far the best objects for use in
space with their volatiles. We need them to supply any community in
space and some space craft refueling.
   The rocky and metallic objects are for materials for construction
and , at least at first, to sell to Earth Markets. The overall value
of the materials in an average, non CC, asteroid is about $160 to
$200 per tonne.
   It takes about a 50 meter rock to be worth the trip out and back
with mining equipment and 150 meter rock to pay back investors.  Less
is needed for construction in space.
  CFFC
http://www.thriftyspace.com

I think it would be wise, and consistent with human survival and the
success of communities in the past, to locate spin gravity
communities near cometary asteroids (large bodies of water),
especially the larger communities.

hi..! anyone here who is interested in joining our spacescience Yahoo!
Group (a sort of email group...!) can send us an email at
advancedspacetransportscience@... and after we open your email,
we will send you an invitation to join..!!  currently we are just
posting our messages on the website at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/astsclubs_emergency_meeting_place (only
group members can view messages, which have space news and
spacescience content) but in the future, we will be using the full
email functions of that website..!  also, this is an emergency site,
since our main club was attacked by site destroyers and we were
forced to reform our club elsewhere..  in the future, we intend to
move to another site, but at that point, your membership will be
automatic..!!

thanks for considering our Yahoo!Group..!!

happiness!
~blanche~

This information was posted on the Artemis mailing list. Interesting,
and very suggestive of a possible NEO type that should be pursued for
asteroid mining...

<<<<<<<
In August 2000 an asteroid the size of a bus entered Earth orbit.
Even with all the activities of the Minor Planet Center and the Near
Earth Object projects at Kitt Peak and the Powell Observatory, four
months went by before anybody even noticed asteroid 2001 DO47.
Another 10 days passed before anybody realized it was in Earth orbit,
and it took another 5 days to confirm the orbit.

The object will remain in Earth orbit for only one year, from August
2000 to August 2001, and was discovered only serendipitously while
looking for a different, previously discovered object. There seems a
very good chance that asteroid 2001 DO47 could have entered and left
Earth orbit without anyone ever noticing. There also is a very good
chance that there are lots more of these things circling Earth right
now.

Making some broad assumptions about what "bus-sized" means, and
assuming it's a chunk of plain ol' rock, asteroid 2001 D047 could
mass on the order of 300 tons.
>>>>>>>>>>>>

If 2001 D047 is a typical carbonatious condrite (similar to Eros), we
could expect at least 50 tons of this to be Oxygen, 50 tons of Iron,
50 tons of silicon, etc...

Photos from the "Space Colonization" club have been moved to
the "file" section.

Important links are in "Bookmarks".  Feel free to add any others you
want.

I've finished copying the posts that I think we would most like to
save for our reference and will now categorize these and have these
in the "files" section soon.

~George (cygonaut)

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast27feb_2.htm?list92690

It seems like we're getting a bumper crop of basic science out of the
NEAR probe.  Now, the gamma-ray spectrometer is detecting the
presence of iron, oxygen, silicon, potassium, thorium, and uranium,
to name a few.  We just need to lasso a body similar to Eros to make
a go of a mining operation.

Welcome my fellow •SPACE COLONIZATION• members to your new home.
Members of my other clubs and communities (those we cannot approve
messages before they're posted) will also be in here over the course
of about a month or so.

We don't have to tolerate spam or anything that disrupts our
discussions.  Each post will need approval before it is posted (and
emailed if you selected that option).

Photos, selected posts, etc. from the •SPACE COLONIZATION• will be
moved here.

Thanks for joining.

~George (cygonaut)

WELCOME

We are now working on the details of a step-by-step plan of action, a
cost-benefit analysis, and a business plan presentation (will soon be
up on the web at cygo.com).   These will help raise the money needed
for the initial launch and start-up asteroid mining operations.

Final design decisions for our "SpaceCar" is made by OrbitalHabitats
at
http://www.orbitalhabitat.com/

==

MEMBER BENEFITS

--Book of Founders
Members are added to the Book of Founders which will be placed in our
space settlements.  When the first settlement is built, the book is
completed.  You can include a message of up to 40 words.  To add the
message, change the name or message, or be removed from the book,
please write me at uuu77@...
http://www.cygo.com/founders.html
Please allow some time for your username/I.D. to be added.


--10% off
Members also get 10% off our products and services when they become
available (including SpaceCars).

==

Feel free to try our simple online Engineering Conversion Factors
program for energy, pressure, volume, density, etc.
http://www.cygo.com/convert.htm

==
We invite people from all nations.. regardless of religion or lack
thereof.. regardless of sexual preference or lack thereof..
regardless of gender, color, or physical appearance.. regardless of
political beliefs.. including but not limited to government
representatives, NASA enthusiasts, moon mission advocates, Mars
mission advocates, business leaders, leaders of citizen action
groups, ALL people to join in our space settlement initiative which
may be the most realistic and practical one put forth for initially
settling space and for healthy long term survival and economic
viability.
==
http://www.cygo.com/

UPDATE 093000

The detailed cost-benefit analysis and business plan are being
prepared.  These will help raise the money needed for the initial
launch and start-up asteroid mining operations.


---

Book of Founders
Members are added to the Book of Founders which will be placed in our
space settlements.  When the first settlement is built, the book is
completed.  You can include a message of up to 40 words.  To add the
message, change the name or message, or be removed from the book,
please write me at
uuu77@...
The book:
http://www.cygo.com/founders.html


10% off
Members also get 10% off our products and services when they become
available (including SpaceCars).


---

We invite people from all nations.. regardless of religion or lack
thereof.. regardless of sexual preference or lack thereof..
regardless of gender, color, or physical appearance.. regardless of
political beliefs.. including but not limited to government
representatives, NASA enthusiasts, moon mission advocates, Mars
mission advocates, business leaders, leaders of citizen action
groups, ALL people to join in our space settlement initiative which
may be the most realistic and practical one put forth for initially
settling space and for healthy long term survival and economic
viability.

UPDATE 083000

Final design decisions for the SpaceCar, the building block of life
in space, will be made by Orbital Habitats at

http://jupiter.spaceports.com/~meckardt/

-----------------

I've started the Book of Founders to be placed in our space
settlements.  All members of all member clubs will be added to this
book.  Each member can also have a message included of up to 40 words
for future space residents to read at their liesure.  The book can be
seen at

http://www.cygo.com/founders.html

To add the message, change the name or message, or be removed from
the book, please write me at

uuu77@...

When the first space settlement is completed, so is the book.

--------------

Also members get 10% off products we sell, including SpaceCars.

----------------

Any clubs that want in are welcome.  Send your url to

SpaceWork@...

------------------

We invite people from all nations.. regardless of religion or lack
thereof.. regardless of sexual preference or lack thereof..
regardless of gender, color, or physical appearance.. regardless of
political beliefs.. including but not limited to government
representatives, NASA enthusiasts, moon mission advocates, Mars
mission advocates, business leaders, leaders of citizen action
groups, ALL people to join in our space settlement initiative which
may be the most realistic and practical one put forth for initially
settling space and for healthy long term survival and economic
viability.

Orbital Habitat is working on the actual design of the SpaceCar.   To find out
more, please visit:
http://jupiter.spaceports.com/~meckardt/

=================================================================
http://www.cygo.com/

Menu page
http://cygo.baka.com/truegate.html

SpaceCar Club
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/spacecar

=================================================================
Plasma power could usher in human travel to Mars
http://CNN.com/2000/TECH/space/06/15/plasma.rocket/index.html
=================================================================

asteroid mining -> private interconnectable space cars -> space cities

---
==



Get your FREE Email and Voicemail at Lycos Communications -
http://comm.lycos.com

=================================================================
ON SCREEN
=================================================================

CFFC - a low-cost launch provider

Cerulean Freight Forwarding Company (CFFC) was founded April 19, 1999 in
Washington State with the mission to provide low cost space access. Their
exposure has been minimal, advertising budget nearly non-existent, and
labor: volunteer. Beginning in 1971, the CFFC parent Aerodesic Research has
designed, modified, and redesigned, minimized cost, and optimized safety for
the CFFC product line, spacecraft that take off and land at a typical
runway, be refueled and examined and takeoff again in 50 minutes
economically.

Cerulean Freight, has designed three classes of craft. Kitten promises to
enable microsatellite launch for $105,000 as well as hour long space rides
to 145 miles for up to 6 minutes of zero gee experience. Calico will provide
hypersonic (mach 5+) intercontinental freight and passenger services as well
as enable economic satellite and space infrastructure launch of up to 1.8
metric tones (about 4000 lbs) of cargo or 10 passengers for orbital services
lasting over 9 hours at 465 miles (750km) up. Angora promises low cost to
orbit 15 metric tones (33000 lb) payload (or 60-passenger) design. These
space crafts cut launch costs from about $15,000/kg (NASA standard) to below
$1,200/kg. That's $600+ million for a space shuttle launch compared to $19.5
million for a CFFC launch. Plus CFFC gives higher payload capacity (up to
23.4 tons).

CFFC can launch 18 months after funding requirements are met ($400,000-or
$800,000 letter of intent).

Website:
http://www.thriftyspace.com/
Email:
info@...


==
New architecture for exploring Mars
http://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/space/05/03/space.mars.reut/index.html

==
Flat expanding universe?
http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DailyNews/universe000426.html

==
More news
http://spacer.com/

Bone shaped asteroid.
http://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/space/05/05/kleopatra/index.html

Concepts of Offers

FREE Space repositioning of potentially dangerous asteroids (heading
for earth, moon, etc)(if perceived achievable, of course)

<> Space Jobs
<> SpinCity Business opportunities

Offers/products/services:
--SpaceCar (interconnectable) priv trans/home (can make larger space
vessels with more cars[/modules])
--Space Construction services (spin gravity systems, factories, etc)
--Space repositioning of asteroid(s) for commerce (such as placing in
a LaGrange point 4/5ths earth-moon)
--Custom built space craft (according to customer's
specifications)(landers,  lander-launchers, and space-only craft)
--asteroid best iron - easily processed at asteroid & shipped to
earth (& moon/Mars), Platinum, Nickel, Silicon, etc)
--asteroid Volatiles (Oxygen, Hydrogen)
--asteroid Radiation shielding
--asteroid docks (for parking craft while using a more appropriate
craft, for example)
--SpinCity mini storage (for moon/Mars/space explorers, for unwanted
mission weight)
--SpinCity Astercrete
--SpinCity --going to Mars? Why launch it when you can get it here
     --food (via spin grav agri) (not going to a moon colony)
     --water
     --fuel
     --blocks if ice
     --gear (space suits, tanks, cables, harpoons, etc)
--SpinCity spacecraft repair
--SpinCity homes
--SpinCity retail business space
--SpinCity factory/warehouse space
--SpinCity health&recreation facitities

Some of you may be wondering how to get Oxygen out of water.

Oxygen and Hydrogen are easily produced from water. The electrolysis
method is simple & cheap. Basicly, all we need is a battery (solar cell
panels will do), wires, water, and tanks.

Also see:
http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/9/0,5716,119789+10,00.html

Have fun.

One of our clubs is focusing on the module that will be used
for private space transportation and construction.

http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/spacecar

My company is currently working on a project that captures, mines and forges
asteroids and meteorites.

We have an expandable frame that can be used to capture mass similar to a
Chinese finger trap.

Solar ovens, solar cutting torches, etc.

It is a very serious venture.  Nothing hypothetical about it.

Mark

Some near-earth asteroids have eccentric orbits which carry
them both near the earth at times, and out to the edge of the
main asteroid belt, beyond the orbit of Mars.

A colony built on one of these objects with an eccentric orbit
could also be used to provide transportation from earth to
Mars, or to the main asteroid belt.

http://www.iinc.com/~obwan/htc/technogy/neo.htm

Half a million asteroids come close to Earth. It is easier to
reach 100,000 of these and return a payload than it is to
return the same payload from the Moon. All the materials
needed for an earth-free colony are available on most ex-belt
asteroids. With ex-belt asteroids, you get good ore. Good
(pure, free) ore requires very little processing. Using solar
ovens, an assembly crew, sand-casting, spin gravity, etc, we
start moving forward.

We will need:
-Personnel.
-Harpoons, spikes, stakes, anchors, and cables for staying
  attached and moving around.
-Containers/bags to hold material to be processed .
-A simple grinder for coarse crushing
-A self-rotating housing in which a series of rollers for fine
  crushing are arranged.
-Vibratable screens to sift grains for directing to proper
  sized grinders.
-Magnetic fields or drums to separate the nickel-iron metal
  granules from the silicate grains
-Solar oven.
-Aluminum foil to make oven mirrors.
-Pipes for carrying volatiles.
-Tanks for storing volatiles. (we can make there)
-Solar cell panels for electrical needs.

Any dissent is welcome. This is OUR project, not mine. We are
the masters of the parameters. The detail work will be handled
or OK'd by experts before anything, IF anything, seriously gets
going. Meanwhile, we can be hypothetical and have fun with the
puzzle, right?

Mining a near asteroid is the cheapest and quickest way to go.

Starting with the very basics for mining and extracting, we
can melt, mold, cast, assemble, and construct just about
anything imagineable - including private, interconnectable,
mobile, earth-independent space habitats.

Dependence on food and supplies from earth is extremely costly.
So, we need to build a spin-gravity system for plants (we can
add animals later).

Only a few molds are needed - everything can be mass produced
and assembled cheaply in space.  Lickety-split!

Because of launch costs, we need to concentrate on bringing
only the basic essentials.  We can make more tools and things
there from the materials there.

I also understand there is Platinum at these ex-belt asteroids
and this could help quickly repay investors and for additional
launches as needed.

Flying cars soon?
http://www.msnbc.com/news/312085.asp

From Applied Space Resources:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - US1
Tuesday 21 September 1999
	 ASR's robotic Lunar Retriever I mission is designed to return over
10 kilograms of lunar rock for sale to scientists and consumers
alike in 2002.  These will be the first new lunar samples available
on Earth in over a quarter century, and will come from a previously
unexplored region of the Moon, Mare Nectaris (Sea of Nectar).  ASR
plans to allow qualified researchers to select their own samples
at a steep discount, then to wholesale the majority of the payload
to gem dealers and manufacturers of collectibles.
	 Norris and ASR Vice President for Research & Development Jay Manifold
will each be making presentations on how privately-funded companies
like ASR will expand humankind's reach into space at this weekend's
Space Frontier Conference in Los Angeles (conference details available
at http://www.space-frontier.org/EVENTS/SFC8/).
 	 With its Lunar Retriever I mission, Applied Space Resources is
developing a core competency in the use of existing technologies
for the development of resources in near-Earth space.  ASR is focused
on delivering spacecraft to any destination with precision, and
returning resources and information with equal precision, for a
profit.  Additional information, including various space policy
papers, is available on the company's web site at
http://www.appliedspace.com

--SpaceWork
Start page:
http://www.cygo.com/

SpaceWork at excite.com:
http://comm.excite.com/comm/area/pw/welcome/main.asp?cid=.wgXs_n8FQJM

A letter from
Indu Mamtora
B E (Mech), M.Tech., Nagar
Member: Amateur Astronomers' Association

Dear friend,

Black Hole

Important Points regarding Black Hole are as under.

a) It is located at the centre of Galaxy.
b) The mass of the Black Hole being millions of that of our sun.
c) The size of the Black Hole being only few hundred thousands
of km, it has a very great intense density.
d) It has a great gravitational field influencing all the stars
in the galaxy.
e) All stars of the Galaxy are moving towards the Black Hole
under its influence, ultimately being absorbed by it.
f) There can only be one Black Hole per Galaxy
g) All Galaxies having specific shapes have a Black Hole at its
centre.
h) All irregular shaped galaxies are being attracted by the
nearest regular shaped galaxy, moves towards it and ultimately
merges into it as one of its arms.
i) The matter in the Black Hole being at very high density has
very close atomic structure, exists in its most elementary form.
These elementary particles are so closely held that there is no
space between them even for their oscillations or thermal
vibrations. This makes it very very cold so to say at the lowest
of all, absolutely zero degree of temperature.
j) The Black Hole has a very strong magnetic field. The span of
the magnetic field varies from 100-1000 Light years in diameter.

Regards,
Indu Mamtora

SpaceWork Rules!-----

Asteroid mining and space manufacturing operations
cost less and the rewards are higher and more
immediate than any such moon or planet operation.

Want to look for life on Mars?  Consider asteroid
mining and space manufacturing as a friend that can
boost you into more in-depth exploratory work.

Our focus at SpaceWork is on the design and marketing
of interconnectable modules. They can be used for
private transport (call them "space cars") or like
lego blocks.. even to creat spin gravity systems.
I can envision three forms: empty, environmental,
propulsion.. all with the same hull.

I want the propulsion form to be sold for less than
$100,000. (These are not for landing on anything more
than 1/60th the gravity of earth.)  I am thinking of
affordability, doing mass production of standard
parts/hull cheaply in space, and expecting a healthy
volume of buyers.

The first ones are assembled in space from earth-made
parts. Using solar ovens, an assembly crew, sand-casting,
spin gravity, etc,  the bulk would be made in space
using materials in space (asteroids).

I'm not sure about the shape and size.  Any suggestions?
One estimate of size from an Artemis supporter was a
maximum of 5000 cubic feet.

===