NASA scientists are developing rocket fuel made from Martian soil – Casson Living – World News, Breaking News, International News

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    <title>Nasa's Innovative Approach: Rocket Fuel from Martian Soil – Big Think</title><br />
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                            <span class="absolute uppercase font-emphasis-eyebrow ">Surprising Science — <time class="entry-date published" datetime="2018-11-01T19:45:56-04:00">November 1, 2018</time></span><br />
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                                NASA scientists are harnessing the power of innovation by developing robots designed for methane production, addressing the specific challenges of Martian exploration.<br />
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                        <p>Image credit: David Hecker/Getty Images</p><br />
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                    <span class="bg-black-90 absolute left-0 top-[2px] md:top-[6px] h-[20px] w-[20px] rounded-full"/><br/>To tackle the heavy fuel demands for a Mars mission, NASA proposes to synthesize rocket fuel using Martian soil resources.<br />
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                    <span class="bg-black-90 absolute left-0 top-[2px] md:top-[6px] h-[20px] w-[20px] rounded-full"/><br/>This innovative method involves extracting hydrogen from Martian water and combining it with atmospheric carbon to generate methane.<br />
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                    <span class="bg-black-90 absolute left-0 top-[2px] md:top-[6px] h-[20px] w-[20px] rounded-full"/><br/>This groundbreaking approach could significantly reduce the weight of fuel required for future missions to Mars.<br />
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    <p>Nasa's team is embarking on an innovative journey that could enhance the feasibility of crewed missions to Mars. Without this advancement, we risk facing scenarios reminiscent of classic sci-fi tales, where astronauts find themselves stranded on the Red Planet.</p><br />
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    <p>The core issue at hand is the impracticality of transporting sufficient fuel to Mars for a successful return journey. This not only proves to be inefficient but also consumes valuable cargo space. To address this dilemma, NASA is exploring ways to utilize resources readily available on Mars.</p><br />
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    <p>One approach involves extracting water from Martian regolith— the surface layer of soil and rock. The water can be broken down into its elemental parts, hydrogen and oxygen, and then combined with carbon sourced from the Martian atmosphere to produce methane.</p><br />
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    <h3>Extracting Fuel from Regolith</h3><br />
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    <p>The robot designated for this task is known as RASSOR (Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot). This technology, currently in testing, showcases how Martian surface materials will be processed for use as rocket fuel and energy sources for potential colonists on Mars.</p><br />
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