Quote:
Originally posted by VF19
Since water is made of hydrogen and oxygen (correct me if im wrong), then couldn't we just melt (or somehow separate the hydro and oxy) the polar ice caps and/or the underground water (if there is any) to make oxygen?
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It's not that simple. Mars' ice caps aren't water ice; they're carbon dioxide, so that would not make for a suitable water source. To add to this, the polar caps are constantly shifting as Mars goes through "seasons", if that's what you want to call them. Finally, if you managed to thaw them, they'd probably just refreeze, seeing as how they're always moving from one end to the other anyway.
Just a note: it's been a few years since I've taken an astronomy course, so feel free to correct me at any time.
