Yes, about the only thing I can think of that could be worth shipping back - if it turns out that Mars had ancient life in the past and has its equivalent of our coal and oil beds, deep underground. Just ordinary oil or coal - even if it was abundant - just not worth the expense of returning it. But suppose that they have some truly unique properties - medicinal for instance, or catalyst, or something that is extremely potent - so that just a few kg is worth millions back on Earth. And suppose for some reason they just can't be created in Earth laboratories, maybe requires XNA based life to create it for instance and not safe to have that life back on Earth or whatever.
This is in the realm of sci. fi. at present though. Haven't seen anyone suggest anything that is worth shipping back from Mars.
We do have ice in the Martian moon Deimos, probably. Not confirmed but its density + type of body suggests ice as a possibility. If so it could be well worth shipping back to LEO. That's because the delta v is much less, and the type of technology needed, is much simpler, and a small percentage of the ice itself can be used for rocket fuel for the trip back.
And that could finance a colonization of Mars orbit. Which I think myself is a better place to colonize than the surface anyway - at any rate doesn't have the contamination issues of the surface.
But that might be quite a temporary thing though. Because what if we find easy ways to lift water from Earth to space? E.g. orbital airships, only dollars per ton. Then the Deimos water company would go out of business. Still it could be a way of financing the first few years of a Mars orbital colony.
As you can find from my other answers, I don't think we will colonize Mars surface in near future because - those concerned certainly want to keep to the requirements of planetary protection, as mandated in the Outer Space Treaty. NASA obviously mandated to do this. Mars One said they will. Not aware of SpaceX saying anything either way but would be astonished if they don't. And because governments are mandated by the OST to make sure their citizens, in all their space activities, including commercial and collaborative with other countries - that in all this they comply with the Outer Space Treaty.
They seem optimistic that it can be done consistent with planetary protection, but when you look at it in detail, I just don't see how you can send humans to the surface of Mars without at least greatly increasing hte chance of contaminating it with Earth life and so discovering, instead of Mars life, or possibly proto life not yet fully evolved, even more interesting - but instead, if you send humans, especially if you get a crash landing at some point, then a good chance that you find just the life you brought yourself.
What an anticlimax that would be, of all the searches for life on Mars, to find life there, and then find out it is some common Earth microbe that was brought there in the human occupied spaceships.
This is in the realm of sci. fi. at present though. Haven't seen anyone suggest anything that is worth shipping back from Mars.
We do have ice in the Martian moon Deimos, probably. Not confirmed but its density + type of body suggests ice as a possibility. If so it could be well worth shipping back to LEO. That's because the delta v is much less, and the type of technology needed, is much simpler, and a small percentage of the ice itself can be used for rocket fuel for the trip back.
And that could finance a colonization of Mars orbit. Which I think myself is a better place to colonize than the surface anyway - at any rate doesn't have the contamination issues of the surface.
But that might be quite a temporary thing though. Because what if we find easy ways to lift water from Earth to space? E.g. orbital airships, only dollars per ton. Then the Deimos water company would go out of business. Still it could be a way of financing the first few years of a Mars orbital colony.
As you can find from my other answers, I don't think we will colonize Mars surface in near future because - those concerned certainly want to keep to the requirements of planetary protection, as mandated in the Outer Space Treaty. NASA obviously mandated to do this. Mars One said they will. Not aware of SpaceX saying anything either way but would be astonished if they don't. And because governments are mandated by the OST to make sure their citizens, in all their space activities, including commercial and collaborative with other countries - that in all this they comply with the Outer Space Treaty.
They seem optimistic that it can be done consistent with planetary protection, but when you look at it in detail, I just don't see how you can send humans to the surface of Mars without at least greatly increasing hte chance of contaminating it with Earth life and so discovering, instead of Mars life, or possibly proto life not yet fully evolved, even more interesting - but instead, if you send humans, especially if you get a crash landing at some point, then a good chance that you find just the life you brought yourself.
What an anticlimax that would be, of all the searches for life on Mars, to find life there, and then find out it is some common Earth microbe that was brought there in the human occupied spaceships.
About the Author
Robert Walker
Writer of articles on Mars and Space issues - Software Developer of Tune Smithy, Bounce Metronome etc.Studied at Wolfson College, Oxford
Lives in Isle of Mull
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