A team of researchers led by Professor Akbar Ramadhani from Swinburne University (Melbourne, Australia) recently published a study detailing a method of extracting metals on Mars.
Called carbothermic reduction, this process would take air, dirt and sunlight processed on Mars to make metallic iron. It uses concentrated solar energy as a source of heat and carbon, which is generated by cooling CO gas, which is a byproduct of oxygen production in the Martian atmosphere.
The method aims to jointly produce oxygen and iron alloys with a future oxygen-generating plant on the Red Planet.
Getting resources to other planets allows for more efficient, economical and sustainable development in space, because launching technology from Earth is expensive, takes a long time and is harmful to the environment, experts point out.
“We want to develop a Mars metal extraction process that uses the resources to support further manned missions and development to Mars, without actually bringing reagents from Earth in situ,” Ramadhani said. “If you want to build something big on Mars (think large satellites, Mars colonies, refueling depots, and more) without paying to launch everything from Earth, this can be a very valuable process. “
For his part, Alan Duffy, director of the Australian Institute of Space Industry and Technology, stressed that his country is “committed to supporting NASA’s return to the Moon and reaching Mars with the Artemis programme,” for which they Resources will need to be used “so that it is possible” of these places.
“This work helps make NASA’s vision of its astronauts walking the Red Planet a little easier,” Duffy concluded.
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