Episode 601: Living Off The Land On Mars. What Can We Find On The Red Planet?

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.

Our Book is out!

https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/

Audio Podcast version:

ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2

RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio

Weekly email newsletter:

https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter

Weekly Space Hangout:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/

Astronomy Cast:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg

Support us at https://www.patreon.com/universetoday

More stories at https://www.universetoday.com/

Twitch: https://twitch.tv/fcain

Twitter: @universetoday

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/universetoday

Instagram - https://instagram.com/universetoday

Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / [email protected]

Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw

Chad Weber - [email protected]

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