Sublimation Extraction of Mars H2O for Future In-Situ Resource Utilization
Publication: Earth & Space 2006: Engineering, Construction, and Operations in Challenging Environment
Abstract
H2O on Mars is an essential resource for future human exploration. H2O-based in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) on Mars will provide the necessary raw ingredients for propellant production and energy storage, oxygen and water for life support. The importance of H2O-based in-situ propellant production (ISPP) cannot be understated — there is no planned terrestrial launch vehicle in the near or longer term future that can deliver a fully fueled return launch vehicle to the surface of Mars. We provide a brief summary of trades considered when estimating mass requirements for H2O for a surface mission to Mars. A companion session paper ("Accessible Water on Mars and The Moon" by Rapp and others) describes the current understanding for the existence of H2O on Mars based on current orbital mapping missions and numerous existing corroborating models. Abundant, accessible Mars H2O likely exists in the form of near-subsurface ice-filled porous regolith, particularly at latitudes ~50° and higher. The upcoming 2007 Phoenix mission will provide an additional datapoint to confirm or refute this expectation. In this paper, we describe a novel extraction mechanism for such an H2O resource based on enhancing the optical properties of the surface to improve the coupling of solar energy into the soil and induce forced sublimation down to > 0.5m within 150 sols (martian days). Development and results of a theoretical model for describing the sublimation process are presented.
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© 2006 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Published online: Apr 26, 2012
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