KECK INSTITUTE FOR SPACE STUDIES

       

Addressing the Mars ISRU Challenge: Production of Oxygen and Fuel from CO2 using Sunlight - Part 2

September 19 - 20, 2016
California Institute of Technology - Pasadena, CA 91125

Final Report

Workshop Overview:

In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) on Mars is a promising exploration strategy to minimize or even eliminate the need to transport the large quantities of supplies from Earth to Mars.

In the first Keck Institute Space Science workshop, “Addressing the Mars ISRU Challenge: Production of Oxygen and Fuel from CO2 using Sunlight”, the workshop team focused on the fundamental science and technology considerations of systems using photoelectrochemical conversion of in-situ Mars resources to oxygen and fuel.  Specifically, three distinct systems were conceived and notional designs were established.  These three approaches include:

  1. Non-aqueous system assuming only sunlight and CO2 as feedstock
  2. Aqueous system assuming sunlight, CO2, and Martian water
  3. Aqueous system assuming beamed microwave power, sunlight, CO2, and water for electrochemical water splitting and thermochemical methane production.

The second workshop will take place on September 19 - 20, with three main goals: 

  1. Further refine the three system designs with much greater granularity
  2. Identify the key science and technology gaps for longer-term research and development efforts
  3. Establish performance metrics to allow for benchmarking these systems for comparison to other ISRU schemes.

Monday, September 19, 2016

Think Tank, Room 155 - Keck Center, Caltech

Addressing the Mars ISRU Challenge:
Production of Oxygen and Fuel from CO2 using Sunlight - Part II

Time
Event
Speaker

7:00 - 8:00

Institute open - FREE TIME (coffee and breakfast will not be ready until 8AM)

8:00 - 8:30

Coffee and Refreshments

8:30 - 8:45

Logistics

Michele Judd

8:45 - 9:15

Participant Introductions

Michele Judd, All

9:15 - 9:45

Summary of Workshop #1

Team Leads

9:45 - 10:15

Plan for Workshop #2, determine break out groups

Team Leads

10:15 - 10:45

Break

10:45 - 12:30

Breakout Groups Meet

All

12:30 - 2:00

KISS-Hosted Lunch at the Athenaeum

2:00 - 3:00

Report Outs from Breakout Groups (20 mins each - includes discussion)

Groups

3:00 - 3:30

Solicitation of Lightning Talks

All

3:30 - 4:00

Break

4:00 - 5:30

Breakout Groups Meet

All

5:30

Pack Up and Walk to the Athenaeum

All

6:00

KISS-Hosted Dinner at the Athenaeum


Tuesday, September 20 2016

Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155

Time
Event
Speaker

7:00 - 8:00

Institute open - FREE TIME (coffee and breakfast will not be ready until 8AM)

8:00 - 8:30

Coffee and Refreshments

8:30 - 8:45

Logistics

Michele Judd

8:45 - 9:00

Progress Update: Goals for last day (what success looks like at the end of this workshop)

Team Leads

9:00 - 10:15

Lightning talks as needed

As nominated by others from Monday

10:15 - 10:45

Break

10:45 - 12:30

Breakout Groups

All

12:30 - 2:00

KISS-Hosted Lunch at the Athenaeum

2:00 - 3:30

Open Discussion of Breakout Group Recommendations and Group Feedback

All

3:30 - 4:00

Break

4:00 - 4:45

Final Activities and Assignments - Group Discussion

All

4:45 - 5:00

Workshop Closeout

Michele Judd

5:00

Workshop Concludes


Workshop Participants:

  • Xenia Amashukeli - Caltech
  • Shane Ardo - UC Irvine
  • Manan Arya – JPL
  • Harry Atwater - Caltech
  • Erik Brandon - JPL
  • Wen-Hui (Sophia) Cheng - Caltech
  • John Graf – NASA Johnson Space Center
  • Jonathan Grandidier - JPL
  • Jeffery Greenblatt - LBNL
  • Joel Haber - Caltech
  • Frances Houle - Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
  • Simon Jones - JPL
  • David Kass - JPL
  • Clifford Kubiak - UC San Diego
  • Matt Law - UC Irvine
  • Amir Mazaheripour - UC Irvine
  • Brendon McNicholas - Caltech
  • Anne Meier - NASA
  • Adam Nielander - Stanford University
  • Bruce Parkinson - University of Wyoming
  • Arvind Ramachandran - Arizona State University
  • Gerald Sanders - NASA Johnson Space Center
  • Samuel Schreiner - JPL
  • Valerie Scott - JPL
  • Ellen Stechel - Arizona State University
  • Karl Walczak - LBNL
  • Adam Weber - Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
  • Will West - JPL
  • CX Xiang - Caltech
  • Jenny Yang - UC Irvine
  • Almagul Zhanaidarova - UC San Diego