solid rocket fuel components on mars

[mrspacely]

perchlorate, water ice... does anyone know what else you would need to make rocket fuel?

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080805/D92BSNEO0.html

 

[thomasantony]

This is exactly what crossed my mind when I saw that news item in google :

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j1hvRUNc9W-3lupLU6TLQtR0gdRAD92BQ7K00

In fact I had come here to post on it ... you beat me to it . .
Is it possible? Would it be cheap to make SRBs or is the CO2->Methane approach better?

 

[mrspacely]

the key is automation. you automate a process to extract, purify, store, and maintain a stock of fuel a year or 2 before you send astronauts. upon arrival, you REFILL will fresh h2o and fuel for your return journey. its not that hard, and it seems phoenix is discovering mars is making things easier for us with the more we uncover. lets stop wars on earth and do better things.