New fuel from space

I had been thinking today, what if when humans start exploring more and more moons and planets in this solar system they find a new mineral or something that could be used as a fuel?

And if that is possible, do you think it would be better then the forms of fuel here already on Earth? That is, it being more effectient and cleaner, and allow us to possibly make it to another solar system.

Feedback much appreciated.

It is possible that we could find new compounds on other worlds but odds are we will not. Simply because all of the worlds in our solar system were all created from the same soup. And in an understanding of basic chemistry you can learn that elements don;t just pop up. It takes very specail conditions and other things of the such to make new compounds. Even though condntions differ on otehr worlds the compounds would most likely be the same. Much like an atom of water here is the same as on europa.

Right now our fule sources are mostly hydrocarbons and mostlikely if we found a new fuel source it too would be a hydrocarbon. We purify oil into many different hydrocarbons and even though carbon can bond to make some very uique compounds the ones abundant here are the eaisest to be formed and that is becasue of the carbon arrangements that law will hold true all over the solar system and to find an abundance of a rare hydrocarbon is highly unlikely becasue of the troubble in forming such a complex hydrocarbon.

I doubt we'll find any new fuels but we'll find plenty of a fuel we already use, hydrogen. Build a ship with a great big cone on the front of it shooting straight into tanks and you've got yourself a hydrogen scoop.

I would have to say that hydrogen would be the fuel of choice and would be found outside the Earth's atmosphere in and on other planets. We need some serious R&D in this field in order to make it afforadable to the masses. Unlike the Hydrocarbons, Hydrogen is the way to go as far as a fuel goes. It gives off nothing but some H2O when used and even that can be re-processed for potable H2o. We could solve many environmental problems if we switched over to it but the 'Big Oil" boys club would not make much money on it vs hydrocarbons. It is though going to be an emerging business and those who poise themselves properly stand to make a killing in the next 10 to 15 yrs. Any business involved in any way as far as production and distributation will be reaping hugh $$

There are at least two other important things out there. While there may not be a new 'mineral' in the mineralogical sense, there is-

space itself,

and older, wiser cultures who may have mastered the extraction of vacuum energy from it, and who may or may not still exist.

If they no longer exist, or have moved on, we may find their artifacts- and a key to extraction of the energy of the vacuum.

Or you may independently discover that for us. Just be careful, and ask experts first before experimenting- there is enough energy in one square centimeter of vacuum to, well-

create a Universe.

And we wouldn't want that happening anywere nearby, anytime soon.

Thanks for the input everyone. I had got to thinking that if we did find anything it wouldn't be no were near enough to use it in any practical way, and I see now that there is a chance I could've been right and we just use stuff we already have.

That is an interesting idea Chakotay, do you have any idea how something like that might even work or do just have the idea of using the vacuum of space as some kind of energy source?

It has been suggested that Helium-3 exists on the moon in craters that never see sunlight and that it could be the fuel for fusion reactors.

But then, I've seen enthusiasts say fusion power was just a couple of years down the road for 30 years now.

Originally posted by FLYIN HIGH
I would have to say that hydrogen would be the fuel of choice and would be found outside the Earth's atmosphere in and on other planets. We need some serious R&D in this field in order to make it afforadable to the masses. Unlike the Hydrocarbons, Hydrogen is the way to go as far as a fuel goes. It gives off nothing but some H2O when used and even that can be re-processed for potable H2o. We could solve many environmental problems if we switched over to it but the 'Big Oil" boys club would not make much money on it vs hydrocarbons. It is though going to be an emerging business and those who poise themselves properly stand to make a killing in the next 10 to 15 yrs. Any business involved in any way as far as production and distributation will be reaping hugh $$

What about the use of Hydrogen technology here on earth
pesn.com...

Originally posted by hatchedcross
That is an interesting idea Chakotay, do you have any idea how something like that might even work or do just have the idea of using the vacuum of space as some kind of energy source?

You can review some work that has been done at NASA by clicking here, and you can find work by one of the principal investigators, Hal Puthoff, by clicking here.

Thanks for those links Chakotay , they are very interesting reads. Especially this quote from the first one

In simplistic terms it has been said that there is enough energy in the volume the size of a coffee cup to boil away Earth’s oceans.

That seems like it would be a very exciting thing to research!

Originally posted by Realist05
It has been suggested that Helium-3 exists on the moon in craters that never see sunlight and that it could be the fuel for fusion reactors.

But then, I've seen enthusiasts say fusion power was just a couple of years down the road for 30 years now.

But we haven't been to the moon for 30 years, so naturally...

He-3 is a good bet, Hydrogen is hopefully better. And, thankfully, quite abundant. 75% of the universe, I believe.

I think its very probable if not plausible that we'll find new sources of fuel/minerals and maybe even new elements out there in the deep black yonder

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I am inclined to concur with Chakotay,

H3, ionic propulsion and solar sails may get us around the Solar system for a while, eventually we will probably need to find some undiscovered principle of physics.

There is probably a lot more chaotic action of the Universe than organized particles and energy. The ability to access and utilize that probably out weighs the Universe itself. But because we wouldn't want to damage our home Universe, we might need to extract energy from and move through some other Universes.

It maybe that at some point we can grip space itself, but that might create gravity/space-time waves, but it could be used for small initial movement and final breaking to re-connect with this Universe.

Also i have visions of polymer [carbon nanotube?] strands being used to get around in local [solar system] space. Like spiderweb guidelines to get from here to there. Imagine being in a cab moving along a polymer cable that runs for a few million miles to your destination. They could be on winch reels that lengthen and contract as various space bodies move around the solar system.
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