Author Topic: Mars Deep Drill Exploration Mission - Idea  (Read 3664 times)

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Marco2001

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Mars Deep Drill Exploration Mission - Idea
« on: March 26, 2011, 12:41:43 PM »
Mars Deep Drill Exploration Mission

Her's a mission that Mars Colonist will have to perform in order to gain knowladge of the red planet.
Ergo - it can be a side-mission for Mars Colony.

In orded to stydy Mars geology lot's of drilling, sampling and testing will be done.
Yet - all of those drills go only as deep as 50-100 m below surface. That's not deep at all...and it gives only limited information.
That's why scientists drill even deeper on Earth - thus, learning it's past.
The same will be done sooner or later on Mars...becouse if we need to mine Mars resources we need to know where to search for them.
In 2018 a mission to Mars is scheduled called: "Mars Deep Drill". It will only gain us some small information up to 60 m deep.
We need to get even deeper - and that would be the side-mission of Martian Colonists...to drill up to 1-3 km deep!

How's it's done?
There is a set-up drilling spot on the map with an auger-like equipement permanently settled there.
Players needs to manufacture DRILLING PIPES from local resources (Iron ?).
When drilling pipes are made, they pick them-up with thei'r hands as an normal item or a part.
Then they travel to the Deep-Drill Site and insert the pipes into the equipement.
Each pipe allows to drill 10 more meters deep.
The machine drills.
When it has drilled that 10 meters, it require more pipes inserted to go even deeper.
After every drill is made, the DRILLING TIP get's eroded.
When it's too dammage to operate the machine will stop.
Then all you have to do is to manufacture another-one, re-call the drilling tip back to the surface, and replace it.

Ok...so it drills, and obviously...it takes a LOT of time. That drill gives valuable scientific data which I have listed here:
http://img862.imageshack.us/img862/223/mepag.jpg
Source: http://www.fourth-millennium.net/mission-artwork/deep-drill-lander-home.html

But...what does the PLAYERS gain by doying it? (besides the fun ;))
Her's the essence of the whole point of drilling....players by drilling gain certain VALUABLE informations or rewards after every 100 m of drilling.

-100 m  --->  You gain the Location of every sedimentary deposits on the map [halite (rock salt), sylvite, barite and gypsum]
-200 m  --->  Distribution of basic oxidants [SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, FeO, MgO, TiO2)
-300 m  --->  Thermal-vents locations
-400 m  --->  Clean regolit-sites revealed on the map (clean regolit is without contaminants and can be mined, refined and changed into clean soil for plants or bio-dome)
-500 m  --->  1 Anomaly site discovered (places with either an meteor rock or a resource that shouldn't be on Mars. When founded colonists gain money & experience)
-600 m  --->  Methane-vents location on the map
-700 m  --->  Possible Fossil life sites on the map
-800 m  --->  Fossil life discovered. Colonists gain experience and money.
-900 m  --->  Subsurface water deposits revealed (up to 50 m deep)
-1000 m  --->  Full Water distribution
-1100 m  --->  Location of basic carbon resources on the map [MgCO3, Na2CO3, CaCO3, Li2CO3] (Lithium is important for CO2 scrubbers)
-1200 m  --->  Cave entrances location on the map revealed
-1300 m  --->  Basic ores revealed on the map [iron, zinc, lead, copper]
-1400 m  --->  Sulphur, Berylium & Potash sites located on the map.
-1500 m  --->  LIFE DISCOVERED! New options aviable for the colony + colony gains money & experience.
-1600 m  --->  Thorium deposition is understand. Base gains experience & money.
-1700 m  --->  Uranium deposition is understand. Base gains experience & money.
-1800 m  --->  Gold deposition is understand. Base gains experience & money.
-1900 m  --->  Geothermal sites located on the map. Colony gains the ability to start a geothermal power-plant.
-2000 m  --->  Full geological map revealed.
          > ---> Other?

Earth's ultra deep-drill project for 2013: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fc_Z9_3O5g
« Last Edit: March 26, 2011, 12:49:37 PM by Marco2001 »

Poland here. My time: GMT + 1h
Writing a book about Mars. Any ideas? Type to me.
I'am an Astrobiology/Biology student.

Marco2001

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Re: Mars Deep Drill Exploration Mission - Idea
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2011, 07:26:26 PM »
No reply?  I take it that this idea has no flaws so ther's no point to do so <joke> ;D

Poland here. My time: GMT + 1h
Writing a book about Mars. Any ideas? Type to me.
I'am an Astrobiology/Biology student.

thedubman

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Re: Mars Deep Drill Exploration Mission - Idea
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2011, 07:49:12 PM »
I like it..  if it is possible in game or not I am not sure, but I can imagine transporting in sections and building a sizeable 'derek' to have a larger scale drilling rig. Manufacturing pipe sections could be nice. But It could be made 'simpler' if you used a drill head which is suspened by cable and surrounded and water (and bentonite)  I know of this technique becouse I have assisted with it.

Mecanico

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Re: Mars Deep Drill Exploration Mission - Idea
« Reply #3 on: April 02, 2011, 02:22:01 PM »
Marco, any idea about drill rate (cm/h)?
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