Plasma-based conversion of martian atmosphere into life-sustaining chemicals : the benefits of utilizing martian ambient pressure

Abstract

Abstract: We explored the potential of plasma-based In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) for Mars through the conversion of Martian atmosphere ( 3c96% CO2, 2% N2, and 2% Ar) into life-sustaining chemicals. As the Martian surface pressure is about 1% of the Earth\u2019s surface pressure, it is an ideal environment for plasma-based gas conversion using microwave reactors. At 1000 W and 10 Ln/min (normal liters per minute), we produced 3c76 g/h of O2 and 3c3 g/h of NOx using a 2.45 GHz waveguided reactor at 25 mbar, which is 3c3.5 times Mars ambient pressure. The energy cost required to produce O2 was 3c0.013 kWh/g, which is very promising compared to recently concluded MOXIE experiments on the Mars surface. This marks a crucial step towards realizing the extension of human exploration