Lunar-titanium-deposits / subtitled McGizmo goes to the Moon.

lunar-titanium-deposits

"A map of the Moon combining observations in visible and ultraviolet wavelengths shows a treasure trove of areas rich in titanium ores. Not only is titanium a valuable element, it is key to helping scientists unravel the mysteries of the Moon's interior. The new map is a valuable tool for lunar exploration planning. Astronauts will want to visit places with both high scientific value and a high potential for resources that can be used to support exploration activities. Areas with high titanium provide both -- a pathway to understanding the interior of the Moon and potential mining resources," said Robinson."

Click to expand...

Norm

Maybe Don was really on to something with the "LunaSol" concept... :nana:

:lolsign: @ scout24

Norm

TranquillityBase is already on the moon...

Wikipedia entry

New photos here

We probably don't need to go to the moon for it...

From wikipedia...
Titanium is always bonded to other elements in nature. It is the ninth-most abundant element in the Earth's crust (0.63% by mass)[27] and the seventh-most abundant metal.

Dan

gadget_lover said:

We probably don't need to go to the moon for it...

From wikipedia...
Titanium is always bonded to other elements in nature. It is the ninth-most abundant element in the Earth's crust (0.63% by mass)[27] and the seventh-most abundant metal.

Dan

Click to expand...

that's pretty much what I was thinking... heck, we use titanium dioxide as a common pigment for paint and sunscreen. It can't be that valuable! Titanium itself is a nice metal.. light and strong. I thought it was just the refining that was expensive??

I wonder what the plan was for shipping the stuff from the moon to the earth? Maybe just catapult it out of the moon's gravity and back to earth? How much would survive the descent through the atmosphere w/o burning up?

Or would this just be a way to build a spaceship to Mars on the moon itself, without the trouble of launching all of the spaceship's weight from the earth?

interesting...

Steve K.