Ceres/Mars as manufacturing outposts (analytic exercise)

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the advantages of Ceres over Mars as a potential manufacturing outpost for human exploration. Ceres is unique in the inner solar system due to its abundant water supply and low gravity, making it a more cost-effective option for missions compared to Mars. The lower escape velocity from Ceres (0.51 km/s) significantly reduces fuel costs, while Mars' higher gravity and radiation levels present greater challenges for human habitation and resource utilization. Ultimately, Ceres is positioned as the superior choice for establishing the first human base in space.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of planetary gravity and its impact on space missions
  • Knowledge of radiation shielding requirements for space travel
  • Familiarity with the concepts of delta-v and Hohmann orbits
  • Awareness of the resources available on Ceres and Mars
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the implications of low gravity on human health in space environments
  • Explore the technology for radiation shielding in long-duration space missions
  • Study the logistics of transporting resources from Ceres to Mars
  • Investigate the potential for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) on Ceres
USEFUL FOR

Aerospace engineers, space mission planners, researchers in planetary science, and anyone interested in the feasibility of human colonization of celestial bodies.

  • #31
mfb said:
@marcus: an Earth orbit is certainly an interesting target for all sorts of materials. If you find some cheaper way than rocket launches from Earth, it is interesting.
WOW! Thanks for pointing that out!
I was thinking, oh well, the Earth has plenty of resources. Ceres would never be selling chemical/material products to Earth.
But maybe that's short-sighted. Maybe Earth orbit would be a possible customer for a Ceres chemical industry.

I don't feel able to evaluate that possibility and do the numbers based on realistic assumptions, so I can't pursue it. Just have to keep the possibility in mind, avoid dismissing it.

At the moment some questions in my mind are:
Does Ceres have nitrogen---N-containing minerals, ammonium compounds?
Does it have a range of metals, in surface rubble, or accessible in other places?
Presumably it does have water, and some compounds of carbon---that seems fair to assume.

Where might there eventually be a market for Ceres water? It is probably some of the cheapest water in the inner solar system. Johnny Morales made this point in post #2 of this thread. But what sort of customers might there be? And where might they be located?
 
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  • #32
Not sure if it was already mentioned, but Ceres does have the added benefit of having launch window periods at a little more than a year over Mars' 26 months. Launches can be done at nearly twice the frequency for Ceres, even if it is double the distance of Mars. No matter what, any current mission will have to deal with leaving Earth to get to its destination, or vice versa. This huge difference in launch windows may play a big role in maintaining any sort of mining/manufacturing base on Ceres versus immediately colonizing Mars.
 
  • #33
Where is the point in having more frequent launch windows if the trip between Ceres and Earth takes as long as the time between Mars launch windows (26 months)?
Only in rare occasions (Mars launch window closed recently, Ceres launch window coming soon) Ceres would be "faster" to reach.
 

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