Gas, Liquid, and Solid Processing to Produce Oxygen and Fuels from In-Situ ResourcesDevelopment of a Robust, Highly Efficient Oxygen-Carbon Monoxide Cogeneration SystemThis small business innovation research is intended to develop a long-life, highly efficient O2-CO cogeneration system to support NASA's endeavors to pursue extraterrestrial exploration (Moon, Mars, and Asteroids/Phobos). The cogeneration system will be built using a Tubular, Negative Electrode-supported Solid-Oxide Electrolysis Cell (Tune-SOEC) employing MSRI's most promising degradation-resistant ceramic materials and a unique cell design. The system will be capable of co-generating breathable oxygen and CO fuel directly from carbon dioxide extracted from the Martian atmosphere, lunar regolith/soil, or from the cabin air of extraterrestrial human missions at 750~850ºC. In Phase I, CO2 electrolysis degradation mechanisms will be investigated via nonequilibrium thermodynamic analyses and tests of Tune-SOECs with special embedded reference electrodes. Unique solutions for long-term, high performance CO2 electrolysis will be developed and implemented. In Phase II, a prototype O2-CO cogeneration system using the Tune-SOEC technology will be developed. A proof-of-concept system will be demonstrated, cogenerating O2-CO directly from a CO2 source at temperatures ranging from 750ºC to 850ºC; showing the capability of using ISRU to generate 1 kg oxygen per day (enough to support 1 human).
The Mars Regolith Water Extractor (MRWE) is a system for acquiring water from the Martian soil. In the MRWE, a stream of CO2 is heated by solar energy or waste heat from a nuclear reactor and then passed through a vessel containing Martian soil freshly removed from the ground. The hot CO2 will cause water absorbed in the Martian soil to outgas, whereupon it will be swept along by the CO2 to a condenser chamber where ambient Martian cold temperatures will be used to condense the water from the CO2. The CO2 is then pumped back to the heater where it is reheated and recirculated back to the soil vessel to remove more water. Measurements taken by the Viking mission showed that randomly gathered Martian soil contains at least 1% water by weight, and probably more than 3%. This being the case, the MWRE should prove to be a highly effective way of acquiring water on Mars. By doing so, it will eliminate the requirement to transport hydrogen to Mars in order to make methane fuel, and allow all the propellant needed for a Mars to Earth return flight to be manufactured on Mars using a Sabatier/electrolysis (S/E) cycle, without any need for auxiliary oxygen production through zirconia cells, reverse water gas shift cycles, or other systems. This is highly advantageous since the S/E cycle is the simplest and easiest to implement of all Mars in-situ propellant production methods. The ability to extract water from Mars will also serve to supply the crew of a Mars missions with copious supplies of water itself, which after propellant, is the most massive logistic component of a Mars mission. By eliminating the need to transport fuel, oxygen, and water to Mars, the MWRE will have a major effect in reducing the mass, cost, and risk or human Mars exploration.
Altius Space Machines, Inc. An ElectroAdhesive "Stick Boom" for Mars Sample Return Orbiting Sample Capture
Yeah, the ultraflex-style circular panels seem to be getting quite popular these days; the planetary decadal survey white papers seems to have quite a few missions baselined with them. Which is a lot, given that they've only flown once before...
