One estimate for oil is 1350 Billion barrels left. The human world consumes 80 million barrels a day. The USA has enough natural gas to last around 100 years and fracking open shale gas deposits could mean more gas is available. Then there's Nuclear, Wind, Solar and so on.
But just how much fuel does NASA need? They quote that each of the two Solid Rocket Boosters on the Space Shuttle carries more than one
million pounds of solid propellant. The Space Shuttle's large External Tank is
loaded with more than 500,000 gallons of super-cold liquid oxygen and liquid
hydrogen, which are mixed and burned together to form the fuel for the orbiter's
three main rocket engines.
NASA is building the biggest solid-fuel rocket ever, the SLS. It will be 10% more powerful than the Saturn V. The fuel will be composed of ammonium perchlorate, powdered aluminum, iron oxide, a polymer (such as Polybutadiene acrylonitrile (PBAN) or hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB)) and an epoxy curing agent.
So, looking at the constituents of rocket fuel, the amount of oil and gas on Earth may not affect future deep space missions, particularly if fuel is added en route from other moons and planets like Mars. Titan appears to be one huge petrol station!
But just how much thrust can we produce on Earth for the deepest of missions: one final mission to save Humanity SWORD style, in other words, an 'ark'? Could such a launch destroy Earth itself: an Extinction Level Launch?
Blimey, how did I get here from that kid asking me how much fuel was left on Earth? Phew! I need a beer!
