SpaceX Starship landings could contaminate water ice on the moon

[Admin]

Could human landing systems touching down on the moon deliver water from their rocket exhaust plumes? New research says it's a possibility.

SpaceX Starship landings could contaminate water ice on the moon : Read more

 

[BT2024]

If all of the PSRs that were studied only have a potential ice of 2 to 60 tons and Starship can deliver 10 tons of water ice in just the landing plume, why bother trying to land at difficult sites like the south pole? Why not pick a crater at an easier latitude to set up the moonbase and have repeated landings there to deliver tons of water ice?

 

[gybognarjr]

All human activities, anywhere in the Universe, will produce pollution and even destruction of most everything in the the surrounding area at first, then expanding and becomes unrepairable.

 

[Cisventure Astronot]

If all of the PSRs that were studied only have a potential ice of 2 to 60 tons and Starship can deliver 10 tons of water ice in just the landing plume, why bother trying to land at difficult sites like the south pole? Why not pick a crater at an easier latitude to set up the moonbase and have repeated landings there to deliver tons of water ice?

They want to understand the moon by landing in new places, and finding out why there's water there. That's why they're worried about contamination.

 

[Cisventure Astronot]

I'm really behind on Starship news. Since when did we know about lunar Starship's landing engines? Do they use hydrolox, and if so, why?

 

[Unclear Engineer]

Pretty much any propellants that the lander could use would produce water in the exhaust. It does not have to be a hydrogen/oxygen fueled rocket like the Centaur upper stage. Burning methane or kerosene with oxygen will also have water in the exhaust.