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 / frasercain@gmail.com Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com 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/242525435PerchlorateonMarsAchemicalhazardandaresourceforhumans 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??utmmedium=affiliate&utmsource=commissionjunction&utmcampaign=3nsn6445deeplinkPID7596969&utmcontent=deeplink https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lunarisru2019/presentations/5066Mueller.pdf https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/centennial_challenges/3DPHab/latest-updates-from-nasa-on-3d-printed-habitat-competition