They were speaking about this on television, Nasa has technical jargon
for 'making due with a planets resources'.
The astronuats can use the water there as fuel,propelant, drink, etc.
As usual they just gloss over that important technical part and go to commmercial.
But:
Beyond Apollo: RAND and resources (1962-1963)
Steinhoff estimated that extraterrestrial water could supply over 90% of the
logistical needs of space-faring humans. He wrote that the moon's gravity -
nearly 20% as powerful as Earth's - would make it an inefficient "interim
space base" for fueling Mars-bound ships. Citing Clyde Tombaugh, who had
written that Mars's moons were probably made of the same water-rich
materials as Mars itself, Steinhoff proposed that Phobos supplant the moon
as a stepping stone to Mars.
Nuclear systems could cook water out of
Phobos rocks, then split it into hydrogen and oxygen rocket propellants.
What a strange catch phrase:
In-situ resource utilization - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(marketing geniuses)
In space exploration, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) describes the
proposed use of resources found or manufactured on other astronomical
objects (the Moon, Mars, etc.) to further the goals of a space mission.
According to NASA, "In-situ resource utilization will enable the affordable
establishment of extraterrestrial exploration and operations by minimizing the
materials carried from Earth."[1]
ISRU can provide materials for life support, propellants, construction
materials, and energy to a science payload or a crew deployed on a planet,
moon, or asteroid.
Bester News - NASA names target for water hunt at moon's south pole - Related
LCROSS will help scientists understand how much water lies trapped in
frozen, permanently shadowed lunar craters, where it could conceivably be
harvested one day for use as fuel or human settlement.
and the best for last:
NASA's Newest Mission, Surprisingly, Is An Homage To Mr. Show -
By Richard Connelly in NASA, TelevisionWed., Oct. 7 2009 @ 2:51PM
You've probably seen some version of this headline: "NASA to Bomb the Moon Friday."
VISIONARY!
All we've got to say is, what took them so long? Mr. Show tackled this issue long ago.
We doubt the event Friday will feature country singer C.S. Lewis, Jr.'s "Blew Moon"
Look out moon
America's gonna get ya;
Gonna go kaboom,
it was nice to have met ya -- Because you don't mess around with God's America.
Not to mention a cameo from Sarah Silverman as a protester chanting "We're
earthlings; let's blow up earth things."