Extending humanity to other worlds in the Solar System is at the very limits of our modern technology. And unless there are dramatic discoveries in new propulsion systems or we learn how to build everything out of carbon nanotubes, the future of space exploration is going to require living off the land.

The technique is known as In-Situ Resource Utilization or ISRU, and it means supplying as much of your mission from local resources as possible.

And many of our future exploration destinations, like Mars, have a lot to work with. Let’s look at the raw materials on Mars that missions can use to live off the land and the techniques and technologies that will need to be developed to make this possible.

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References:

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20160005963.pdf

https://space.nss.org/the-promise-of-mars-by-robert-zubrin/

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7038

https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/msa/ammin/article/103/7/1011/537180/gypsum-bassanite-and-anhydrite-at-gale-crater-mars

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/jarosite-in-the-noctis-labyrinthus-region-of-mars

http://fti.neep.wisc.edu/neep533/SPRING2004/lecture19.pdf

https://www.nature.com/articles/ngeo1923

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242525435_Perchlorate_on_Mars_A_chemical_hazard_and_a_resource_for_humans

https://mars.nasa.gov/news/curiosity-finds-evidence-of-mars-crust-contributing-to-atmosphere/

https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/8200/boron-sodium-and-chlorine-in-mineral-vein-diyogha/

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6544

https://mars.nasa.gov/mars-exploration/missions/viking-1-2/

https://www.nasa.gov/jpl/msl/pia18387

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20110015862.pdf

https://phys.org/news/2019-04-methane-route-storage-renewable-energy.html

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9159/213d6ad79bd800d07525bc37463588742662.pdf

https://www.icis.com/explore/resources/news/2007/11/05/9075777/ethylene-uses-and-market-data

https://www.universetoday.com/144136/using-bacteria-to-build-a-base-on-mars/

https://madeinspace.us/press-releases/made-in-space-wins-nasa-contract-to-develop-hybrid-metal-manufacturing-system-for-space-exploration/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gfS5k8juDM

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-01157-w??utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=commission_junction&utm_campaign=3_nsn6445_deeplink_PID7596969&utm_content=deeplink

https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lunarisru2019/presentations/5066_Mueller.pdf

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/centennial_challenges/3DPHab/latest-updates-from-nasa-on-3d-printed-habitat-competition

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