Flow chart of manufacturing process for a Martian settlement (IMAGE)

University of California - Berkeley

Flow chart of manufacturing process for a Martian settlement

Caption

Humans on Mars would need to use the only raw materials available — water ice, atmospheric gases, the Martian soil and sunlight — to make everything they need for survival. Researchers like those in CUBES, based at UC Berkeley, are working on ways to turn these raw materials into food, medicine, fuel and structural materials. This flow chart shows how in situ resource utilization (ISRU) turns the raw materials into a form that can be used to synthesize food and pharmaceuticals (FPS) and manufacture biopolymers (ISM) for use by the crew. Waste is collected and reused (loop closure, or LC) to maximize efficiency and reduce the cost of supply logistics from Earth.

Credit

Illustration by Aaron Berliner and Davian Ho, UC Berkeley

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