Oil on Mars?
 

Imagine... if they do, it will change everything. All those defense dollars poured into the space race. But all the positive ecological inroads we've made towards clean fuels etc. could be lost with a renewed license to use oil. Would the price plummet? Would shares in Oil companies skyrocket?

Who knows what would happen if Phoenix drills down for water and discovers oil on Mars?

Re: Oil on Mars?
 

Don't expect much just yet. The cost of transporting the oil from there to here would be cost-prohibitive, to say the least.

Re: Oil on Mars?
 

The cost factor would be so astronomically (pun intended) expensive that I wouldn't see this happening for at least three generations. We don't even have the technology to get humans to Mars.

Re: Oil on Mars?
 

The question really would the cost in rocket fuel and other mission costs outweigh the profits to be reaped by oil on mars. Of course there's also the scientific implications as well. If you find oil you have some evidence of possible life on a planet other than earth. A statistical improbability to the extent of being not even plausible, but not yet an impossibility.

Wow, interesting to see we're all on the same page cost-wise.

Re: Oil on Mars?
 

i would prefer we sort out the clean energy first. thanks :)

Re: Oil on Mars?
 

Wouldn't it be much more convenient if there were huge barleyfields on Mars? Can't wait to open up my own pub there. :D

Re: Oil on Mars?
 

Don't mind my english...

By the time we have spacecraft going to Mars or other planets, which I see will only happens in hundred or so years from now (if it does happens). Around that time, are we still using oil as fuel or energy? Won't we be using other alternative stuff (solar? fusion?) as fuel or energy?

My point is that, currently as we are having oil crisis (either through rising oil prices and oil reserve getting less and less). Aren't our scientist researching other alternative stuff to replace oil? Granted, eventhough such research is currently still in it's infancy stage. But in another hundred or so years from now. I'm sure they have either found or perfected these alternative to replace oil as fuel or energy.

Re: Oil on Mars?
 

well there's always nuclear power plants, not 100% clean, and everytime someone builds one someone accuses them of starting a weapons program.

Solar power is already pretty effective.

Fusion I think would be a touch difficult seeing as the only place I've heard of it being a sustained reaction is in the core of the Sun (and the other stars)

And from what I've seen and heard hydrogen powered cars have been a good option for some time now.

Essentially many of the technologies that give you clean energy already exist in an efficient form. Have they been optimized? probably not yet, but put them into action first and reduce the dependence on petroleum then work on perfecting them.

Re: Oil on Mars?
 

Well the international space station closest to Mars is solar powered.

Re: Oil on Mars?
 

Maybe we should merge this thread and the nuclear thread... they seem to be going in the same direction.