Category:Mars

The SSI Mars team seeks to push the boundaries of crewed space missions and pave the way for permanent settlement of Mars and other celestial bodies. Our projects are centered on in situ resource utilization (ISRU), a broad group of technologies which make use of the scant resources on Mars for long-term surface missions. We turn Martian air and soil into fuel and concrete, eliminating the need to launch everything from Earth. At the same time, ISRU technologies can sustainably produce fuel and building materials for use on Earth, making our work a crucial step in fighting climate change. If we learn to live on the Red Planet, we can also save the blue one!

Furthermore, we are developing technologies to help explore uncharted regions of Mars, such as the planet's polar ice caps. Through the Mars Polar Rover Team, we are building a rover that will make a journey across Antarctica to set course for the South Pole on Earth. This mission will serve as a template to one day reach the corresponding polar ice caps on Mars.

It's not just Martian technology that our team works on – we are also pursuing breakthroughs on the Moon. One of our newest projects, a partnership with aerospace company Astrolab, aims to construct a prototype excavator to dig through lunar regolith for eventual human settlement and construction on the Moon.

The current faculty advisor for the Mars team is Dr. Michael Lepech.

IN SITU RESOURCE UTILIZATION (ISRU)

ISRU is focused on identifying sources of needed elements and materials from one’s immediate surroundings. For example, while the Martian surface is barren and desolate, its carbon dioxide atmosphere provides a source of carbon and oxygen while subsurface water ice provides a source of oxygen and hydrogen. Using electrocatalysis powered by solar panels, these two sources allow for the formation of breathable O2, methane for fueling rocket engines, and carbon monoxide for syngas. Meanwhile, Martian soil can be used as an aggregate base for concrete as well as a source for sulfur and basaltic minerals, whose significance is described in the featured projects below, Mars Bricks and Tractor.

Teams

MARS BRICKS

The bricks subteam experiments with methods of turning Martian and lunar soil into building materials for habitats and other structures. The team works with biopolymer-bound soil composite (BSC), which is made of soil, protein binder, and water. BSC has similar compressive strength as Portland cement concrete, the world’s most common construction material! While concrete production accounts for about 8% of global CO2 emissions, BSC provides a possible carbon-neutral alternative and is also easy to produce from Martian resources. The team created a payload to autonomously create these martian bricks in 0g, 1g, and 2g. After winning a NASA contract, our payload was sent to the International Space Station to test it's formation in 0g. You can learn more here.

The team's most recent newsletter as of May 31st, 2023, can be found here.

MARS POLAR ROVER

-- in the works--

The team's most recent newsletter as of May 31st, 2023, can be found here.

MARS EXCAVATOR

-- in the works--

HOW TO JOIN:

Join SSI, hop on the slack, and join #mars, #mars-bricks, #mars-polar-rover, and #mars-excavator.

if you have any questions or just want to chat!