Mars Ascent Propellant Considerations (ACR24 white paper)¶
Document: Mars Ascent Propellant Considerations, a five-page white paper headed "2024 Moon to
Mars Architecture" and footed "2024 Moon to Mars Architecture Concept Review". No date is printed
beyond the year; the download path is 2024/12. Files: text
sources/text/docs/2024-12-acr24-mars-ascent-propellant-considerations.txt; raw
sources/raw/docs/2024-12-acr24-mars-ascent-propellant-considerations.pdf (fetched
2026-10-01T07:22:46Z from
https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/acr24-mars-ascent-propellant-considerations.pdf,
per sources/manifest.csv). Page numbers: the printed numbers (1–5) match the PDF pages and the
text file's [page N] markers. PDF pages 2, 3 and 4 were checked against the text.
Which paper this is. NASA's White Papers web page lists it under the 2024 Architecture Concept Review: "Explores the challenges of transport, or in-situ manufacture, of fuel needed to ascend to Mars orbit after a surface mission" (White Papers page, fetched 2026-10-01). The 2024 executive overview lists it among its four "Mars-focused" papers (2024 overview, PDF p. 8). It doesn't cite the ADD. It is 2024 context, older than ADD Rev C.
Summary. "For most proposed human Mars architectures, the single largest category of mass that must be delivered to the Mars surface is the propellant required for the crew's ascent to Mars orbit" (p. 1). Making it from Martian resources "is possibly the single most significant application for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU)" (p. 1). The paper summarizes three NASA studies (2009, 2021, 2024), sorts the options into no ISRU, limited ISRU and comprehensive ISRU, and names three driving factors: mass, site selection and production rate. It makes no decision: "NASA must thoroughly consider the ascent propellant trade space before selecting an approach" (p. 4). The content is on ISRU Systems.
Contents¶
| Page | Section | Wiki home |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction: ascent propellant as the largest landed mass; the MI-4 objective; Mars resources and their other uses; Figure 1 | ISRU Systems |
| 2 | Literature Survey (three studies); Mars Ascent Propellant Trade Space (no, limited, comprehensive ISRU) | same |
| 3 | Key Findings: mass, site selection, production rate; Summary | same |
| 4 | Key Takeaways; Figure 2, "Conceptual Mars ISRU Infrastructure" | same; this page |
| 5 | References 1–9 | this page |
What the PDF shows that the text layer loses¶
- Three columns, twice (p. 2). Each study and each trade-space option is a column with a heading and an italic subheading. The text layer runs the columns together, and puts the three option subheadings ("Architectures that Rely Exclusively on Earth-Origin Ascent Propellant", "Architectures Incorporating ISRU and Raw Material from Earth for Ascent Propellant", "Architectures Where ISRU Generates Most or All Ascent Propellant") away from their columns. The PDF pairs them with "No ISRU", "Limited ISRU" and "Comprehensive ISRU" in that order.
- The note on the dust storms belongs to the 2009 study. "Note: This study predated the 2018 Mars global dust storms and their effects on power systems, which promoted lessons learned for subsequent architecture studies" sits under the 2009 column in the PDF. The text layer prints it after the 2024 column.
- Figure 2's labels (p. 4). The image is headed "Conceptual Mars ISRU Infrastructure" and "Propellant Manufacture for Ascent - Large Lander/Ascent Vehicle - Surface Mining Approach". Its key names: Mars Ascent & Landing Vehicle; Fission Surface Power; Fission Surface Power Controller Pallet; Fission Surface Power Converter/Cable Pallet; Propellant Production Pallet; Cryocooler Pallet; 250m and 350m mining areas, each with a mining pallet and "Regolith Advanced Surface Operations Robot"; Mining Pallet; Water Rover; Rover; Water Tank; and lines for power, gaseous propellants and coolant. A group is labeled "BACKUP EQUIPMENT". The caption calls it "a notional regolith-based ISRU surface infrastructure developed during the 2024 strategic analysis cycle ISRU study". The wiki reads the key only, not the drawing's counts or layout. These are concept labels, not ADD elements.
- Figure 1 (p. 1) is an illustration of "a large Mars ascent vehicle, astronauts, and ISRU infrastructure"; it carries no labels.
Key takeaways (p. 4)¶
- "For most proposed Mars architectures, ascent propellant represents the single largest category of landed mass."
- "Production of ascent propellants from in-situ resources could significantly reduce the propellant mass that must be delivered, but ISRU has significant impacts on the overall exploration architecture."
- "Various ISRU options offer a wide range of trade-offs, including considerations of overall mass, site selection, and production rate."
- "NASA must thoroughly consider the ascent propellant trade space before selecting an approach to create an architecture that is achievable, objective-oriented, and extensible to future exploration."
What changed by Rev C¶
These comparisons are the wiki's. The paper predates Rev C. In short: the paper's question is still open in Rev C as a key definition task, and the scenarios of the 2024 study fall outside two 2025 decisions. Details are on ISRU Systems.
References that are other architecture documents¶
The paper cites nine references (p. 5). As printed:
| Ref. | Title, as printed | Among the wiki's sources? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NASA's Moon to Mars Objectives | yes, Moon to Mars Objectives (2022) (same file name in the link) |
The others are earlier NASA studies and conference papers: "Feasibility of rocket propellant
production on Mars" (NTRS 19790028311), "Mars Exploration Study Workshop II", "Human Exploration of
Mars Design Reference Architecture 5.0" (the paper's "2009 Mars Reference Mission Architecture"),
"Design of a Family of Mars Chemical Transportation Elements", "NASA's Strategic Analysis Cycle 2021
(SAC21) Human Mars Architecture", "Kiloton Class ISRU Systems for LO2/LCH4 Propellant Production on
the Mars Surface", "Assessment of a Surface Water Transportation System Concept for ISRU Operations on
Mars", and "Some Strategic Considerations Related to the Potential Use of Water Resource Deposits on
Mars by Future Human Explorers". None is among the wiki's sources (sources/manifest.csv).
Oddities¶
As printed, PDF checked:
- "which hinder": "this architectural limitation would reduce the diversity of regions available for study and which hinder NASA's ability to accomplish science and exploration objectives" (p. 3).
- Two names for one study. The 2009 column is headed "Mars Reference Mission Architecture"; its reference 4 is "Human Exploration of Mars Design Reference Architecture 5.0".
See open question 66.
Related pages¶
ISRU Systems · #0606 Mars ISRU · #1105 Mars Ascent Propulsion · Key definition tasks · Humans to Mars · Mars Surface Power Technology Decision (ACR24)