| Resources from Mars, the Moon, and asteroids: Sustainably Prospecting for Materials in Space. Kevin Hubbard1; Linda Elkins Tanton2; 1ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY; EUROPEAN SPACE RESOURCES INNOVATION CENTER, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg; 2ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY, Tempe, United States; PAPER: 233/SolidStateChemistry/Regular (Oral) SCHEDULED: 16:45/Tue. 29 Nov. 2022/Andaman 1 ABSTRACT: In order to achieve a sustainable human presence on the Moon, Mars, and beyond, humanity must develop the capability to provide as close to 100% supply of resources in-situ as possible. Achieving this goal will require development of technologies to locate, extract, process, generate, and utilize said resources. To date, contemporary in-situ resource utilization-based space exploration architectures typically focus on the production of resources that have the most value for initial use in space such as O<sub>2</sub>, H<sub>2</sub>, and H<sub>2</sub>O for the production of propellant and life support consumables [1]. However, critical metals indispensable to the terrestrial global economy such as Ni, Cu, Co, and the platinum-group elements will also likely be required to support the endeavor of becoming a multi-planetary species [2,3], and on this topic Mars becomes the focus. Based off compositional and petrographic similarities between terrestrial mantle-derived mafic/ultramafic magmas, meteorites known to come from Mars, and the physicochemical characteristics of the Martian surface, it is likely that massive and disseminated sulfide ores, which host these precious resources, were deposited at or near the surface [4,5]. In order to validate this belief, a more thorough exploration campaign is required to properly assess whether Mars is an ore-rich planet. Thus, this paper will provide an overview on the current state of knowledge and technologies available for prospecting for magmatic sulfide ores on Mars, with a particular focus on the capacity and necessity of integrating sustainable practices in upcoming space missions focused on in-situ resource utilization. Additionally, potential use cases of metals derived from magmatic sulfide ores in the space industry are considered. References: [1] International Space Exploration Coordination Group Technology Working Group. 2019. Global Exploration Roadmap Critical Technology Needs. Retrieved from: https://www.globalspaceexploration.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/2019_GER_Technologies_Portfolio_ver.IR-2019.12.13.pdf<br />[2] Zientek, M.L., Loferski, P.J., Parks, H.L., Schulte, R.F., and R.R. Seal II. 2017. Platinum-Group Elements chap. N. In: Critical Mineral Resources of the United States–Economic and Environmental Geology and Prospects for Future Supply: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1802. p. N1–N91..Eds: Schulz, K.J., DeYoung, J.H., Seal II, R.R. and D.C. Bradley. https://doi.org/10.3133/pp1802N<br />[3] Naldrett, A.J. 2010. Magmatic sulfide deposits–Geology, geochemistry, and exploration. Berlin, Germany. Springer-Verlag. P. 727. <br />[4] Baumgartner, R.J., Fiorentini, M.L., Baratoux, D., Micklethwaite, S., Sener, A.K., Lorand, J.P. and T.C. McCuaig. 2015. Magmatic controls on the genesis of Ni–Cu±(PGE) sulphide mineralization on Mars. Ore Geology Reviews, 65:400–412.<br />[5] Burns, R. and D. Fisher. 1990. Evolution of Sulfide Mineralization on Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research, 95(B9):14169–14173. |
