Martian soil to Energy?

[Leovinus]

Is there anything in Martian soil that could be used to power a rover? I'm thinking that it would be pretty cool to have a rover scoop up a load of dirt, perform some kind of chemical reaction on it, hopefully by utilizing gasses in the atmosphere and/or maybe solar energy, and then converting that into electrical power to drive the rover. Whenever power got low, it would stop, dig some more, and then continue. <br /><br />Maybe it's just easier to send a nuclear rover instead... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

It would probably be easier to have a centralised ISPP plant that could make a fuel for the rover (such as CO-O2 for a fuel cell or IC engine). While the rover would have to return for periodic refueling, much higher power levels would be available than from RTGs or solar cells.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>