Preparing for robotic and human exploration missions which incorporate in-situ resource utilization

Sanders, Gerald B.; Trevathan, Joseph R.; Peters, Todd; Baird, R. S.; Larson, W. E.; Lueck, Dale E.; Parrish, Clyde

doi:10.2514/6.2000-5317

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 13 publications

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“…Hydrogen, while a fuel capable of imparting a very high specific impulse (a measure of provided thrust), is the least dense of all known fuels, and therefore requires specialized combustion apparatus [ 79 , 82 ]. Trade studies over the past 15 years have identified ‘Mars atmospheric CO 2 [as] important for O 2 and hydrocarbon fuel production, nitrogen (N 2 ) [as] important as a buffer gas for life support, [and] argon (Ar) [as] useful as an inert gas for science experiments and propulsion system purging’ [ 83 ]. Accordingly, carbon-based fuels such as methane, methanol, benzene/toluene and Fischer–Tropsch products have been closely examined for their Mars utility [ 84 ].…”

Section: Propellant Generation In Spacementioning

confidence: 99%

Towards synthetic biological approaches to resource utilization on space missions

Menezes

Cumbers

Hogan

et al. 2015

J. R. Soc. Interface.

128

127

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This paper demonstrates the significant utility of deploying non-traditional biological techniques to harness available volatiles and waste resources on manned missions to explore the Moon and Mars. Compared with anticipated non-biological approaches, it is determined that for 916 day Martian missions: 205 days of high-quality methane and oxygen Mars bioproduction with Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum can reduce the mass of a Martian fuel-manufacture plant by 56%; 496 days of biomass generation with Arthrospira platensis and Arthrospira maxima on Mars can decrease the shipped wet-food mixed-menu mass for a Mars stay and a one-way voyage by 38%; 202 days of Mars polyhydroxybutyrate synthesis with Cupriavidus necator can lower the shipped mass to three-dimensional print a 120 m3 six-person habitat by 85% and a few days of acetaminophen production with engineered Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 can completely replenish expired or irradiated stocks of the pharmaceutical, thereby providing independence from unmanned resupply spacecraft that take up to 210 days to arrive. Analogous outcomes are included for lunar missions. Because of the benign assumptions involved, the results provide a glimpse of the intriguing potential of ‘space synthetic biology’, and help focus related efforts for immediate, near-term impact.

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Section: Propellant Generation In Spacementioning

confidence: 99%