Mars in situ resource utilization (ISRU) with focus on atmospheric processing for near term application : a historical review and appraisal

Rapp, Donald and Inglezakis, Vassilis J. (2024) Mars in situ resource utilization (ISRU) with focus on atmospheric processing for near term application : a historical review and appraisal. Applied Sciences, 14 (2). 653. ISSN 2076-3417 (https://doi.org/10.3390/app14020653)

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Abstract

The inspirational paper by Ash, Dowler and Varsi in 1978 proposing to utilize in situ re-sources on Mars (ISRU) rather than bringing them from Earth, originated the field of Mars ISRU that has been the subject of research ever since. In this paper we reviewed significant research re-ported on Mars ISRU since 1978 and reported briefly on accomplishments. We found that prior to 2014, progress on small tasks was sporadic and intermittent, always at low Technology Readiness Level (TRL). In 2014, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) took a bold, im-aginative, unprecedented step to fund a major project in Mars ISRU: the so-called “MOXIE” (Mars Oxygen In Situ Experiment) in which an oxygen production plant based on solid oxide electrolysis (SOEC) was developed, and finally demonstrated on Mars in 2022 and 2023. While MOXIE leaves behind it a wealth of accomplishments, there remains the need to close remaining gaps with addi-tional laboratory and field work. Solid-oxide electrochemical cell (SOEC) technology has become a major area of worldwide investment for terrestrial energy and CO2 control. There is a very strong overlap between this terrestrial technology and Mars ISRU. NASA has already leveraged the terres-trial development work via MOXIE. NASA can leverage further advances with a comparatively small investment beyond 2023. Because NASA is engaged in a major program to return humans to the Moon, NASA’s focus is on lunar ISRU. Unfortunately, the mission impact and return on invest-ment for lunar ISRU does not compare to that for Mars ISRU. NASA’s concept for Mars ISRU is futuristic involving autonomous mining, transporting, and processing large amounts of Mars rego-lith. This might well occur long after initial human landings which could better profit in the near-term from MOXIE technology. By continuing further development of SOEC technology beyond MOXIE, while leveraging large investments in terrestrial applications, NASA can develop the Mars ISRU appropriate to nearer term human missions at modest investment. The goal of this paper is to place the relatively mature MOXIE technology advance and solid oxide electrolysis in general in perspective to the historical evolution of low TRL Mars ISRU technology.

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