I am very interested in specifics. It is very easy to make glib comments like:
"We figure out how to smelt or whatever method, the aluminum or whatever metal."
How would you know whether there was any aluminium there?
How would you know which ore was present?
Would you have electrolytic cells with you?
How would you generate electricity?
How would you figure out what you would need?
Can you please run through the whole process in detail, explaining how you would actually carry out the production of aluminium, paying attention to the temperatures required?
I am a chemical engineer by profession, but assume you do not have a chemical engineer in your crew. After all, you will need a lot of specialists including a doctor, geologist, a chemist, an astrophysicist, a metallurgist, a biochemist, a nutritionist, and quite a few more.
Please be specific about what your first few landing party individuals would specialise in.
16 Psyche is now thought to have less metal than previously thought.
Psyche, the iron giant of asteroids, may be less iron than researchers thought | Brown University
What if you find no aluminium there?
BTW, do you have the ion engines ready?
Thank you in advance.
Cat