Questions tagged [chemistry]
Questions regarding the application of chemistry in space exploration, for example the composition of rocket propellants.
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What is a lithium fed GIT? How does it work?
This answer to What is the maximum speed an ion engine can propel a spacecraft at? mentions the following:
Lithium fed GIT (gridded ion thrusters) have demonstrated 50,000 - 80,000 seconds of ISP (...
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Which scientific articles together give proof of all the chemical elements found on Mars?
Wikipedia about the elemental composition of Mars:
Based on these data sources, scientists think that the most abundant chemical elements in the Martian crust, besides silicon and oxygen, are iron, ...
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Are there fuel cells for methane + oxygen? Could there be?
Hydrogen + oxygen fuel cells powered the week-long Apollo missions to the Moon and Shuttle missions to orbit, and there is a industry trying to build itself around hydrogen-fed fuel cell-based road ...
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What is the heaviest chemical element that has been recovered from beyond cis-lunar space? [closed]
Material has come to Earth from deep space (beyond cis-linar) and been subjected to scientific analysis both in the form of meteorites, and via robotic sample collection spacecraft and robotic ...
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Options for making rocket fuel using the Moon's natural resources
Based on what is known about the chemistry of the lunar surface through remote sensing and surface exploration, what raw ingredients are likely to be available that can be used to make rocket fuel?
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Are rocket fuels and LOX pure or are there additives?
I wonder whether there are any small amounts of additives in rocket fuels such as hydrogen and kerosene, or to the liquid oxygen, or if they are absolutely pure (barring any unintentional ...
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What would a candle flame look like in low gravity?
We know what the flame of a candle looks like on Earth in 1g and what it looks like in weightlessness. But do we have an idea of what it would look like in Lunar (0.166 g) or Martian (0.38 g) gravity? ...
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What would be the performances of chlorine trifluoride as an oxydizer?
Inspired by this comment
Assume that a particularly deranged moustache-twirling villain with way more time and resources than is reasonable decides to build a satellite-launching rocket using ...
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Sources of Xenon or other noble gases in space?
Xenon is a common choice for ion thrusters, though other heavy noble gases could work due to their low ionization potentials.
I got thinking about building or refilling future space travel ion ...
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Molecular propellant in ion engines
This question was prompted by discussions on this question. Can there be an advantage to using a molecular propellant in an ion engine, as opposed to noble gasses or iodine? (Although iodine actually ...
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Removing perchlorate from Mars surface soil
It's known that there's a lot of perchlorate contained in Mars' surface soil.
But could we take the toxic part out and make it become plantable?
If so, how might this be done in a practical way on ...
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Density of propylene when used as rocket fuel, and advantages (if any) over RP-1?
Recently Vector space from USA has said that propylene is a better choice of fuel than RP-1. See Ars Technica's After a decade of testing, propylene rocket fuel may be ready for prime time
Why is ...
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How quickly might a Titan rover or drone get covered in oil and dirt? Will it need windshield-wipers?
These questions and their answers address some potential aspects of a rover on Saturn's moon Titan.
Titan rover survival challenges
What are the technical challenges in building a Titan rover that ...
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Is abundance of chemical elements in the asteroid belt / solar system real through higher concentrations?
Given humanity would be once able to access any minerals in the asteroid belt and moons of planets, would be there some chemical elements (if stable isotopes exist) still considered as rare?
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Rock flipping operation
After the recent announcement of complex organics being found on Mars within the curiosity rover's meager 5cm drill depth, I had an idea about artificially increasing it:
Is curiosity rover's arm ...
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