XPost: sci.space.policy
From: ulrich.schreglmann@t-online.de
"Gordon D. Pusch" wrote in message
news:gillnono0a.fsf@pusch.xnet.com...
> wallacethinmintr@eircom.net (Russell Wallace) writes:
> > On 29 Jan 2004 15:27:59 -0800, alexterrell@yahoo.com (Alex Terrell)
> > wrote:
> >> Carbon is abundant in many NEOs. Nitrogen is a problem, but not a
> >> major problem until we move from Torus colonies to Cylinder colonies
> >> with their large volumes. Until then, a Heavy Lift Vehicle delivering
> >> NH3 is enough.
> > As far as air-filler goes, wouldn't argon be an adequate substitute
> > for nitrogen? I've a feeling the moon and asteroids ought to contain
> > argon. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong.)
> Why would you have that feeling? Argon is an inert gas, so it doesn't bond
> to anything (well, except for fluorine and chlorine, under contrived
laboratory
> conditions), and its melting point is not that much higher than nitrogen's.
> You won't find frozen argon lying around until you're almost out to
Neptune...
Actually there's always a little argon floating around the Moon as a
product of nuclear decay, so some may be trapped in the ground. But I
doubt that you could collect it, considering the Moon's atmosphere
compressed to Earth pressure would fill only about a sports stadium,
and that's mostly hydrogen from the Sun. Also the argon might be ra-
dioactive isotopes themselves; I don't know that much about it...
--
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