Can CO2 help harvest minerals on Mars?
When astronauts first go to Mars, it will be difficult for them to bring everything they need to survive. Even the first tentative explorations could last as long as two years. However, spaceships can carry only limited supplies. "We might have to do what explorers have done for ages: live off the land," says chemical engineer Ken Debelak of Vanderbilt University. It is a meager atmosphere, compared to Earth's, and it is about 95% carbon dioxide. This, however, turns out to be an advantage. The CO2, says Debelak, can be used to harvest almost everything else.
Flinn
Edward D
ED
D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D018535:Mars; D008903:Minerals / Q000737:chemistry*; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D013026:Space Flight
D008903:Minerals; D012997:Solvents; D002245:Carbon Dioxide