How to create the ISRU and the Energy for the process...

[LMT]

The problem with a Rodwell is that on Mars it requires internal pressure to keep the "pool" liquid.

No, any base site has sufficient pressure; Rodwell proposals are common.  E.g., the Colorado School of Mines' "Resource Assessment of Phlegra Montes, Mars", noted previously.

[Twark_Main]

The problem with a Rodwell is that on Mars it requires internal pressure to keep the "pool" liquid.

No, any base site has sufficient pressure; Rodwell proposals are common.  E.g., the Colorado School of Mines' "Resource Assessment of Phlegra Montes, Mars", noted previously.

Peak pressure on Mars is 1.16 kPa, so the liquid phase of water has either a non-existent or a very narrow liquid temperature range. Salinity will have some benefit, but at low pressures you're still greatly narrowing the stable operating regime of a Rodwell where it resists operational "collapse" (already a non-trivial concern, even on Earth).

[Robotbeat]

I think the Rodwell approach is overrated on Mars because often the ice will be mixed with regolith, so it’ll fill up with debris.

[LMT]

The problem with a Rodwell is that on Mars it requires internal pressure to keep the "pool" liquid.

No, any base site has sufficient pressure; Rodwell proposals are common.  E.g., the Colorado School of Mines' "Resource Assessment of Phlegra Montes, Mars", noted previously.

Peak pressure on Mars is 1.16 kPa, so the liquid phase of water has either a non-existent or a very narrow liquid temperature range. Salinity will have some benefit, but at low pressures you're still greatly narrowing the stable operating regime...

Repeated hand-waving.

Martian Rodwell conditions do work, as demonstrated at JSC.

[Slarty1080]

The big problem is we still don't know enough about the Martian ice deposits, the depth of their debris over burden, the nature of the overburden, the depth and purity of the ice and the nature and extent of contaminants both in their chemistry and physically (dust, sand, gravel, boulders etc). And how these contaminants vary with depth.

It will be much easier to design a suitable method for extraction and purification when this information becomes available. It would be wise to attempt multiple methods of extraction and purification on the first robotic mission to see what works and gain a more detailed understanding.

[high road]

The '13000 m² of solar panels' seems to be the hardest part.

Getting clean water is the hardest part and the most uncertain and with the most technological uncertainties.
roll out solar panels, discussed in threads here multiple times, are fairly simple, and already exist on Earth.

To clarify, not the technology to purify the water, reverse osmosis can purify almost anything, but rather to dig the stuff out, melt it and do whatever gross filtration is required with entirely automated systems.

Which can easily be solved by bringing the H2 along, Mars Direct style. H2 is only 5% of the propellant mass, you're not sending, operating and maintaining water extraction equipment on that small a mass budget. At least not until there are people there to fix hundreds of little unforeseen issues that can be easily fixed if only you had someone on location, but are otherwise complete blockers.

[Barley]

The big problem is we still don't know enough about the Martian ice deposits, the depth of their debris over burden, the nature of the overburden, the depth and purity of the ice and the nature and extent of contaminants both in their chemistry and physically (dust, sand, gravel, boulders etc). And how these contaminants vary with depth.

It will be much easier to design a suitable method for extraction and purification when this information becomes available.  It would be wise to attempt multiple methods of extraction and purification on the first robotic mission to see what works and gain a more detailed understanding.

I agree up to the bold bit.  To me that means trying something, with some chance of success, as soon as possible.  If you have a robot that can try multiple things by all means send it, but don't wait for it.  As soon as you have a robot that can try one thing try that one thing.  Even a failed attempt will learn far more than theorizing in the lab trying to perfect an all purpose robot.  Perhaps if you just put missions in the plural.

[Slarty1080]

The big problem is we still don't know enough about the Martian ice deposits, the depth of their debris over burden, the nature of the overburden, the depth and purity of the ice and the nature and extent of contaminants both in their chemistry and physically (dust, sand, gravel, boulders etc). And how these contaminants vary with depth.

It will be much easier to design a suitable method for extraction and purification when this information becomes available.  It would be wise to attempt multiple methods of extraction and purification on the first robotic mission to see what works and gain a more detailed understanding.

I agree up to the bold bit.  To me that means trying something, with some chance of success, as soon as possible.  If you have a robot that can try multiple things by all means send it, but don't wait for it.  As soon as you have a robot that can try one thing try that one thing.  Even a failed attempt will learn far more than theorizing in the lab trying to perfect an all purpose robot.  Perhaps if you just put missions in the plural.

I agree no point in waiting, ideally try as much as you can, but if it has to be just a one shot experiment then do that. My concern is who is planning the Starship robot lander experiments? Is there even a one shot being planned?