Ballistic Lithocracking for Deposit Formation

[Majiir]

<szyzygs> you know what kethane needs next.... a gizmo that you need to crash into the surface at km/sec to unlock deeper deposits
<Hyratel> seismic impact survey
<careo> high energy ballistic fracking
<Hyratel> ballistic-seismic fracking?
<Iskierka> hyperkinetic lithocracking

[apoch1999]

would that mean i would actually have a use for that balistic satilite thing in the science tab?

[erendrake]

Would this require A Constellation of satellites to observe the event? or maybe seismic sensors on the ground?

[CaptainSierra]

what. Are you suggesting instantly creating an open pit mine by smashing a satellite into a planet? Cool as that is, I don't think you can do that because the planet terrain mesh is fixed and KSP doesn't use soft body physics, which would make this work.

[tprussak]

Even if you don't physically change the shape of the planet, you could still gain access to a deeper well by weakening the rock, allowing drills to dig deeper.

[SyberSmoke]

Amusingly this is not a new idea in a game. years ago in an age far far away there was a game based on NASA plans to go to and colonize another world. You chose what to pack, how many people you put in the ship and so on. When you got to the planet, one of the first things you would do is drop ground penetrating probes. It was interesting because the probes would reveal where ore and other resources were.

I like this and really, it is right out of a federal play book!