[sci.space] Martian surface chemical composition.

jon@oddhack.Caltech.Edu (Jon Leech) (10/31/86)

In article <8610310817.AA15131@s1-b.arpa> ESG7@DFVLROP1.BITNET writes:
> <long summary of Martian surface composition>

	My question is, how hard is it to extract useful stuff from
the surface material? Taking oxygen out of the various iron oxides
and the like it's locked up in sounds very energy-consuming. Also,
it would be interesting to compare the composition of exposed surface
material and areas further down which haven't been radiated for billions
of years. Of course I refer to molecular composition, not atomic
abundance which should be much the same as the exposed surface.
    -- Jon Leech (jon@csvax.caltech.edu || ...seismo!cit-vax!jon)
    Caltech Computer Science Graphics Group
    __@/