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ESDMD #0606: Mars ISRU to Support Human Exploration

End-to-end processes for making oxygen, methane, water and other commodities from the Mars atmosphere and surface ice (bin 6, rating 52 of 57). NASA's Mars ISRU strategy is not yet defined, but "several decision options and reference missions rely on ISRU-derived materials and/or propellants". Technologies are at TRL 3/4. MOXIE turned CO2 into oxygen on Mars "at subscale". A Mars-only gap, in the Humans to Mars segment (Tech gaps spreadsheet, ESDMD #0606).

Quotations below are from row ESDMD #0606 of the tech gaps spreadsheet. ADD Rev C's Appendix D prints the same table for this gap, and it matches the row field for field (ADD Rev C, p. 233).

Description

"Although Mars in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) strategies have yet to be defined, several decision options and reference missions rely on ISRU-derived materials and/or propellants to minimize mission mass. This gap represents the end-to-end ISRU processes for multiple potential Mars commodities (oxygen, carbon, etc. extraction from Mars atmosphere or collection of surface/subsurface water) that may need to be developed to support human exploration."

Impacts and benefits: "Without gap closure, Mars mission architectures will be confined to Earth-delivered resources."

Current state of the art

"Various technologies at TRL 3/4. MOXIE CO2 to O2 demonstration on Mars at subscale with challenges that must be addressed for scaling operations."

Performance target

Mars: "Enable the production of commodities, propellant, and other usable materials to support human Mars missions."

Child gaps

  • 0606-01: Mars atmosphere collection and processing for ISRU
  • 0606-02: Mars surface and/or subsurface ice acquisition and processing for water
  • 0606-03: Methane production with ISRU
  • 0606-04: Carbon dioxide conversion to oxygen with ISRU
  • 0606-05: Long-duration water electrolysis for ISRU applications

Traceability

  • Use cases and functions: UC-I-101 M -- All FN; UC-I-102 M -- All FN; UC-I-201 M -- All FN
  • Definition tasks: Mars: Surface Construction Priorities; Crew In-Space Return Propellant Strategy; Crew Mars Ascent Propellant Strategy; Source of Mars Crew Consumables

Segments and sub-architectures

Priority

Priority bin 6, overall prioritization rating 52 of 57. The five gaps numbered 06xx, the ISRU group (#0601, #0603, #0604, #0605 and this one), are rated 52–56. The rating is "the gap's location in the prioritized list of gaps", so 1 is the highest priority, and bins group gaps of similar priority, bin 1 highest. Criticality, urgency, breadth and depth set the order; cost is not considered (ADD Rev C, pp. 78, 199; method on the gaps index).

Moon Base relevance

Not established by the sources so far. The gap is Mars-only in the spreadsheet, and the Users Guide does not name it among its near-term Moon Base challenges (Technology and knowledge challenges). The Users Guide's Mars-forward discussion is on Mars-forward.

Sources

Tech gaps spreadsheet, ESDMD #0606 · ADD Rev C, pp. 78, 199, 233 · Mars Ascent Propellant Considerations (2024), p. 1