Scotch On The Rocks On Mars
Hubbard pledges Scotsman to boldly go where no ice machine has gone before
Stardate 17 - 05 - 2006
President Bush's recent plans for a mission to Mars calls for huge investment and a long, dangerous journey. One thing's for sure, once the astronauts arrive they'll need a stiff drink. And when they've settled, all that exploration will be hard work, calling for plenty of cooling thirst-quenchers. But how can they be sure that their ice machine will work in the limited gravity of the Red Planet? Enter Hubbard Ice Systems with the latest version of the Scotsman EasyFit range - guaranteed to sort the problem, whatever the gravity of the situation.
Anyone who's worked with ice machines knows that they suffer from gravity problems - they have to be placed higher than the drains so that wastewater can escape. Not so the EasyFit, which has a clever integral system that pumps the wastewater away even if the drains are over a metre higher than the machine's wastewater outlet. So it should be no surprise if NASA coming knocking at Hubbards door.
A major benefit of life on Mars will be that the EasyFit will actually be able to pump the wastewater further, because of the lower gravity. Which means that the astronauts will have even more freedom than Earth-bound bar-designers when it comes to siting the machine.
And once the Scotsman is tapped into those recently discovered potential Martian water reservoirs, the colony will have a ready supply of gourmet ice cubes.
"We're recommending the new EC46 machine," says Hubbards Commercial Director Chris Davis. "It's our most compact model, with a footprint of just 600 x 386mm, so it should fit the space craft nicely. Plus it can produce over 1,200 supercubes every 24.62 hours (a Martian day).
"That should be plenty for our brave boys and girls, whatever they're tippling.
"The only difficulty is the plumbing: we're hoping NASA will release information on the system they plan to use in the Martian base, so we can make any adaptations required to the EC46's installation kit.
"We're delighted to be part of the international space community" he adds.
