Inner Solar System Prospective Energy and Material Resources

This book investigates Venus and Mercury prospective energy and material resources. It is a collection of topics related to exploration and utilization of these bodies. It presents past and future technologies and solutions to old problems that could beco

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Inner Solar System Prospective Energy and Material Resources

123

Inner Solar System

Viorel Badescu ⋅ Kris Zacny Editors

Inner Solar System Prospective Energy and Material Resources

123

Editors Viorel Badescu Candida Oancea Institute Polytechnic University of Bucharest Bucharest Romania

ISBN 978-3-319-19568-1 DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-19569-8

Kris Zacny Honeybee Robotics Pasadena, CA USA

ISBN 978-3-319-19569-8

(eBook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015941111 Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper Springer International Publishing AG Switzerland is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)

This book is dedicated to the past, present, and future explorers of Venus and Mercury.

Foreword

Throughout history, voyages of discovery and exploration have been followed by periods of relative quiet, as people absorb the new findings, but were often “motionless,” fearing to follow in the footsteps of these courageous individuals, or simply not knowing what to do. Then came tentative expeditions of assessment of the new lands, reporting back on the nature and beauty of the landscape and its potential. And then, attempts at settlement and living off the land, and finally, exploration for natural resources to support an ever-increasing population and complex infrastructure. The well-known exploration of the American West comes to mind. Early explorers were followed by Lewis and Clark, sent by insightful leaders to map and assess the potential of the land. Then followed wagon trains, cowboys and ranchers, sodbusters and homesteaders, railroads to connect the country, and finally even greater infrastructure to support an ever-increasing and organized society and the cities they came to live in. What must it have been like to be Captain James Cook, setting sail on his first voyage of exploration in 1768, a whole new and unknow