15th Biennial ASCE Conference on Engineering, Science, Construction, and Operations in Challenging Environments
Some Strategic Considerations Related to the Potential Use of Water Resource Deposits on Mars by Future Human Explorers
Publication: Earth and Space 2016: Engineering for Extreme Environments
ABSTRACT
A long-term base on Mars, at the center of an “Exploration Zone,” would require substantial quantities of in situ resources. Although water is not the only resource on Mars of potential interest, it stands out as the one that most dominates long-lead strategic planning. It is needed for multiple aspects of various human activities (including our own survival), and in significant quantities. The absence of a viable deposits could make a surface “field station” logistically unsustainable. Therefore, identification of deposits, and development of the technology needed to make use of these deposits, are an important priority in the period leading up to a human mission to Mars. Given our present understanding of Mars, ice and hydrated minerals appear to be the best potential sources for the quantity of water expected to be needed. The methods for their extraction would be different for these two classes of deposits, and at the present time, it is unknown which would ultimately be an optimal solution. The deposits themselves would ultimately have to be judged by an economic assessment that takes into account information about geologic and engineering attributes and the “cost” of obtaining this information. Ultimately, much of this information would need to come from precursor missions, which would be essential if utilization of Martian in situ water resources is to become a part of human exploration of Mars.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A portion of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Helpful reviews of an earlier version were provided by Elizabeth Zbinden (Geological Society of Nevada) and Leslie Gertsch (Univ. of Missouri).
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Published In
Earth and Space 2016: Engineering for Extreme Environments
Pages: 437 - 448
Editors: Ramesh B. Malla, Ph.D., University of Connecticut, Juan H. Agui, Ph.D., NASA Glenn Research Center, and Paul J. van Susante, Ph.D, Michigan Technological University
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-7997-1
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© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Published online: Jun 29, 2017
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