Mining the Moon - Pt. 7
Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 5:12 amPart 6 is here.
For this installment; I offer a montage of failure.
I spent a week back at Heinlein; giving the month-long lunar day time to progress.
And of course; allowing my friendship with Amanda to progress as well.
Anyway; after seven days in comfortable inactivity; I contacted Intersolar S&R and had my contract mission time of one month extended to two. I then headed out once again. I had two more identified locations to check out; I spent two days at the first and three at the second.
I might as well have saved my time and fuel. There actually was considerable iridium trace at the second; enough to locate a possible strike spot and drill a test hole. Unfortunately; all iridium trace turned out to be just that: surface trace. No subsurface ore at all.
Oh well - this isn't anything new to a prospector; but it is depressing. By this time; I'd been away from Heinlein for a week. I still had plenty of fuel and supplies; and most definitely did not want to return to Earth with a zero-claim trip.
So after admitting defeat at the identified strikes; I lifted off and headed east into the Montes Caucasus range.
Six days, zero iridium, several headaches, two close calls on oxygen, and a twisted ankle later; I came to the conclusion that that was a bad idea as well.
Sigh - some days you just can't win for losing. I'm not quite ready to return to Heinlein; just a couple more spots I want to check out. In the meantime; I'm just going to whine and grumble a bit; out here where no-one can hear it.
Back out to the ranges. Cruising low and slow; searching for visible trace.
Drifting sideways along a ridge; still looking for trace.
Deplaned in a crater; returning to the Weasle after a failed ground survey.
Still looking for iridium....
...Still not finding any.
Craters - big craters - are ideal spots for iridium prospecting. Apparently; this particular crater didn't learn that rule.
...and just for the record; I'm getting real sick of grey.
Part 8 is here.
For this installment; I offer a montage of failure.
I spent a week back at Heinlein; giving the month-long lunar day time to progress.
And of course; allowing my friendship with Amanda to progress as well.
Anyway; after seven days in comfortable inactivity; I contacted Intersolar S&R and had my contract mission time of one month extended to two. I then headed out once again. I had two more identified locations to check out; I spent two days at the first and three at the second.
I might as well have saved my time and fuel. There actually was considerable iridium trace at the second; enough to locate a possible strike spot and drill a test hole. Unfortunately; all iridium trace turned out to be just that: surface trace. No subsurface ore at all.
Oh well - this isn't anything new to a prospector; but it is depressing. By this time; I'd been away from Heinlein for a week. I still had plenty of fuel and supplies; and most definitely did not want to return to Earth with a zero-claim trip.
So after admitting defeat at the identified strikes; I lifted off and headed east into the Montes Caucasus range.
Six days, zero iridium, several headaches, two close calls on oxygen, and a twisted ankle later; I came to the conclusion that that was a bad idea as well.
Sigh - some days you just can't win for losing. I'm not quite ready to return to Heinlein; just a couple more spots I want to check out. In the meantime; I'm just going to whine and grumble a bit; out here where no-one can hear it.
Back out to the ranges. Cruising low and slow; searching for visible trace. Drifting sideways along a ridge; still looking for trace. Deplaned in a crater; returning to the Weasle after a failed ground survey. Still looking for iridium.... ...Still not finding any. Craters - big craters - are ideal spots for iridium prospecting. Apparently; this particular crater didn't learn that rule. ...and just for the record; I'm getting real sick of grey.Part 8 is here.
