NextSTEP-2 BAA Appendix D: In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) TechnologySolicitation Number: NNH16ZCQ001K-ISRU
NASA intends to issue an Appendix to the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships -2 (NextSTEP-2) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) in the near future to solicit ideas and technologies to advance In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) capabilities.
NASA will be seeking proposals for research contracts in areas for design, fabrication, and testing of critical components and subsystems for acquisition and processing of extraterrestrial resources into water, oxygen, and fuel, using technologies and processes that leverage and support space or terrestrial commercial activities. While mission timeframes for ISRU technology are all in the 2020's and later, development of these technologies needs to begin well before the listed time horizon.
The presentation (PDF) from the site makes for very interesting reading. I am marginally disappointed that the notional CO2 collection vents N2 and Ar, as those seem like useful gasses to retain. However notional means just that, something to get people thinking... the real system could easily have an addon that captures and refines these trace gases.(there was a thread on BFS and jumpstarting a Martian chemical industry that is related and interesting reading... if I remember Iwill link it)