In the coming decades, multiple space agencies and private companies plan to establish outposts on the Moon and Mars. These outposts will allow for long-duration stays, astrobiological research, and facilitate future Solar System exploration. However, having crews operating far from Earth for extended periods will also present some serious logistical challenges. Given the distances and costs involved, sending resupply missions will be both impractical and expensive. For this reason, relying on local resources to meet mission needs – aka. In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) – is the name of the game.
The need for ISRU is especially important on Mars as resupply missions could take 6 to 9 months to get there. Luckily, Mars has abundant resources that can be harvested and used to provide everything from oxygen, propellant, water, soil for growing food, and building materials. In a recent study, a Freie Universität Berlin-led team evaluated the potential of harvesting resources from several previously identified deposits of hydrated minerals on the surface of Mars. They also presented estimates of how much water and minerals can be retrieved and how they may be used.
The team was led by Christoph Gross, a Postdoctoral researcher with the Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing Group at the Institute of Geological Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin. They were joined by researchers from the SETI Institute, NASA’s Ames Research Center, the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, and the Institute of Space Systems at the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Their research paper, “Prospecting in-situ resources for future crewed missions to Mars,” will be published in the October 2024 issue of Acta Astronautica.
The MOXIE unit is being placed into the Perseverance rover. Courtesy NASA/JPL.As the authors note, NASA and other space agencies are invested in ISRU technologies to significantly reduce the overall mass that must be sent to the Moon or Mars to support human exploration efforts. In recent years, this has led to experiments like the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) on NASA’s Perseverance rover, which produced oxygen gas from Mars’ atmospheric carbon dioxide. The ESA is also preparing an ISRU Demonstration Mission to demonstrate that water and oxygen can be produced from water ice harvested on the Moon.
Mars Express mineralogy maps. Credit: ESA/CNES/CNRS/IAS/UP-S, Orsay; NASA/JPL/JHUAPL/MOLAThese resources would have applications for life support systems, ensuring mission crews have breathable air and water for drinking and irrigation. However, they also have applications for power and propulsion, providing hydrogen gas for fuel cells or reactors and being used in combination to create liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX) propellant. On Mars, most of the water there today is concentrated in the polar ice caps and permafrost or in pockets of hydrated minerals where water once flowed on the surface.
For the sake of their study, Gross and his colleagues focused on hydrated mineral sites since they offer the potential for water extraction directly at the surface and at lower latitudes. But as Gross told Universe Today via email, these deposits also have potential resource applications that go beyond just water:
“The hydrated minerals on Mars are the largest water reservoir on Mars known to date (mainly sulphates and phyllosilicates). Water can relatively easily extracted from sulphates and as described in the paper, the minerals can also be used as fertilizer for food production. The phyllosilicates could be used as building material or, for example, for ceramics. Water is the most important resource, especially propellant production. This may be more interesting for Mars due to the distance to Earth, gravity, etc.”
Next, Gross and his colleagues assessed different geographical locations where hydrated minerals have been identified based on data obtained by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) instrument aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). This included Mawrth Vallis, an ancient flood channel that opens into the Chryse Planitia plains in Mars’ northern hemisphere, and Juventae Chasma, a 5 km (~3 mi) deep basin located north of Valles Marineris.
Water detection under the south pole of Mars. Credit: Context map: NASA/Viking; THEMIS background: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Arizona State University; MARSIS data: ESA/NASA/JPL/ASI/Univ. Rome; R. Orosei et al 2018“Regions hosting a variety of different materials may be interesting,” said Gross. “Then, the site must be easily accessible (not in a canyon, etc.), and it should be close to interesting science sites. I would also support the idea of having a base in equatorial regions where the temperatures are not too cold. And there should be enough space around the base to grow with follow-up missions. Meridiani Planum is a hot candidate. We shall try to constrain the resources there, too.”
Gross and his colleagues also recommended how these resources should be extracted. According to the authors, the dehydration of mono- and poly-hydrated sulfates is theoretically the best approach since several methods exist that are relatively straightforward, fast, and energy-efficient ways exist to do this. They also recommend that robotic missions be sent in advance of astronauts to scout, assess, and begin harvesting and processing these resources in anticipation of their arrival.
“Robotic precursor missions could start mining and refining the resources, especially for propellant production,” said Gross. “NASA and private companies are conducting many studies concerning this point. Also, for example, the robotic construction of habitats or the pre-production of oxygen are conceivable projects.”
This analysis presents new possibilities for exploration and long-term habitats on Mars. Although the polar regions are seen as a good place for building future habitats, mainly because of the abundant frozen water they have access to, extracting this ice (especially from deep underground sources) will be expensive and restrictive. The possible use of hydrated minerals not only offers an alternative for ISRU operations on Mars, but opens sites in the equatorial region to exploration and habitat creation.
Further Reading: Acta Astronautica
The post Resources on Mars Could Support Human Explorers appeared first on Universe Today.
To end a rough week on a high note, here is “Crazy Opossum Lady” showing you how to massage your marsupial.
Reader Rosemary sent me this video made by M. E. Pearl. It’s hilarious! She does this tongue in cheek, of course, but her devotion to these lovely creatures is genuine, and she has many funny videos on possums, always emphasizing that they are harmless (indeed, helpful) and should not be killed. There are dozens of possum videos on her website.
Do note that opossums do not live very long: as Wikipedia notes:
The Virginia opossum has a maximal lifespan in the wild of only about two years. Even in captivity, opossums live only about four years. The rapid senescence of opossums is thought to reflect the fact that they have few defenses against predators; given that they would have little prospect of living very long regardless, they are not under selective pressure to develop biochemical mechanisms to enable a long lifespan.
Of course, there might be selection to increase the lifespan by evolving antipredator defenses, but given that reproductive senescence may have already evolved, so they lose their ability to reproduce by a certain age (viz,. menopause in human females), those defenses might not include a longer life.
This is one compliant possum. I hope it enjoyed the massage!
h/t Rosemary
Canada has been proving itself the most spineless country in the world when it comes to dealing with illegal campus activism (or other performative activism). Take, for example, The University of Windsor in Ontario, which until now I thought was a respectable university. They’ve had an encampment for two months, and the students, as usual, made a number of demands before they’d take it down. But in a sickening display of cowardice, Windsor University made a deal with the students, one in which the University capitulates to a number of ridiculous demands. I receive a copy of what is purported to be the agreement, and will send it to you if you ask (it’s too long to reproduce here). But I’ll put some of the agreements below.
UPDATE: I now realized that the agreement is linked to in the CBC report (here), so I don’t need to send it to you. But the copy I received is very slightly different from that at the CBC link (the latter, for example, calls for an academic boycott of Israel, while that bit has been crossed out in what I received.)
First, though, here’s an article from the CBC news site that describes the agreement. Click headline to read:
And the story. I’ll put below the specifics from the agreement that i was sent. Bolding is mine.
The University of Windsor says it’s reached a deal with students with a pro-Palestinian encampment that began in mid-May, and all tents will be removed from the southwestern Ontario campus within 48 hours.
“This includes peacefully ending the encampment,” the school said in a news release.
The school says the deal also includes more anti-racism initiatives, support for students impacted by the crisis in Gaza, “responsible” investing, and annual disclosures of direct and indirect public fund investments.
The agreement also involves boycotting institutional partnerships with Israeli universities until the “right of Palestinian self-determination has been realized.”
It’s the “most comprehensive and far-reaching” agreement to come out of Canadian encampment negotiations addressing issues like divestment, academic boycott and anti-Palestinian racism, the protesters said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.The encampment has been in front of the former Dillon Hall since May 13.
Negotiations between the two sides have been going on for four weeks, the group says.
“This deal presents to the students, staff, faculty and community as a whole that the university is willing to take solid steps towards a more transparent and just investment system, and rebuilding Gaza,” said Jana Alrifai, a spokesperson for the protest.
“It is a recognition of its past shortcomings and a commitment to betterment. Most importantly, this would have never happened without the fight and steadfastness of the student movement.”
Here are some other details in the agreement:
The protesters will hold a 5 p.m. ET news conference on Wednesday.
Their encampment is among numerous ones set up on Canadian campuses since April, related to the Israel-Hamas war that began in October. Most of the encampments have since come down.
On Wednesday, an encampment at Montreal’s McGill University was dismantled as police, some wearing riot gear, and others on bicycles and on horseback, descended near the campus after the university served two eviction notices to protesters.
But we’re talking not about McGill but about Windsor. As I said, I was sent a copy via an email that said this was the agreement signed by both sides, and will show you a bit of what is in it. If you want to see the whole agreement, go here.
Clicking on the heading will take you to the agreement linked to the CBC report, but the quotes I give below come from what I was sent—with the exception of the call for an academic boycott of Israel (it’s in the CBC linked copy but not in what I got). I cannot vouch for which copy of the agreement is the final one, but there’s almost no difference between them.
And some stuff they agreed on. CONTENT WARNING: ARRANT COWARDICE BY CANADIAN ADMINISTRATORS:
The University of Windsor is in the process of developing its first-ever anti-racism policy. A central feature of the policy will be a focus on identity-based oppression, including anti-Arab racism, anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia. The University will use its best efforts to complete the process by December 31, 2024. The University commits to including Palestinian, Arab and Muslim voices as part of the policy consultation. Regular updates will be provided on the Vice-President, People, Equity andInclusion’s website.
The University commits to establishing an anti-oppression website within 30 days of the ratification of this agreement, which will include institutional and third party information and resources on anti-Arab racism, anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia, linked for the benefit of students, faculty, staff and community members
The University agrees to establish anti-Palestinian racism training and education, which will be recommended for faculty, staff and students. The training and education will be mandatory for the Executive Leadership Team and the Board of Governors members.
The University agrees to make internal research grants available for application by students and faculty on the topic of Palestine in all of its dimensions.
The University agrees that students will not receive any academic or employment sanctions for their participation in, or support for, the encampment, bearing in mind the broad protections provided by the freedoms of expression, association, and assembly
No punishments, as usual!
The University agrees to remove the Aspire Anti-Racism information sheet from its website. [JAC: I don’t know what this website said.]
The University will invest funds as required to extend the Scholars at Risk program for an additional year (to end in 2025). Future institutional support for the program beyond 2025 will be reviewed annually by the University based on the availability of funding. The University will make the securing of funding for the continuation of the Scholars at Risk program a priority in its future financial planning. The University will make special efforts to recruit Palestinian scholars who have been impacted by the occupation of Palestine and the scholasticide in Gaza.
Scholasticide!
The University will endeavour to support students impacted by global conflicts and humanitarian crises, including Palestinian students, who have demonstrated urgent housing needs during the Intersession/Summer term with residence housing.
Provide counselling services for Palestinian, Muslim and BIPOC students which will address the rise of racism and Islamophobia. Ensure the necessary resources to ensure counselling is delivered by racial-trauma-focused therapists
The university will facilitate mental health support groups for students experiencing trauma related to the ongoing occupation of Palestine, not less than quarterly.
Anything about helping Jews or Israelis, or Jewish students affected by the war or antisemitism? I don’t see it. But wait—there are TEN PAGES OF THIS STUFF. And of course Windsor has to change its investment policies to the liking of the encampers:
The University administration agrees to propose to the Board investment committee an expansion of its RI Policy to include a new section on Human Rights and International Law. The section would be modeled after Section C. Climate Change. The section would include a commitment to review the weapons manufacturing industry, with particular attention on companies involved in manufacturing arms used in conflict zones where UN human rights mechanisms or resolutions have determined that serious violations of international human rights, humanitarian or criminal law have occurred. The section would provide an opportunity for the University to develop an operational procedure for its RI Policy based on human rights and international law. This operational procedure would be grounded in United Nations resolutions on human rights situations, and the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Special Procedures and United Nations human rights commissions of inquiry as well as decisions of domestic legal bodies.
The University will prepare an annual responsible investing report, disclosing all investments in indirect, direct and pooled funds held in its Pension Fund, Endowment Fund and Working Capital Fund. The report shall be made publicly available. The first report will be published by December 31, 2024. The annual disclosure will provide a list of public companies within the indirect,direct and pooled funds and the amount of investments in each fund The annual disclosure will explain the application of the RI Policy, including the ESG factors and human rights, to the University’s investment decisions.
The University acknowledges the dire situation faced by Palestinian universities under Israeli occupation. This includes the destruction of the Palestinian universities in Gaza and the unjustified restrictions and frequent closures faced by Palestinian universities in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. The University commits to establishing or reestablishing institutional relationships with Palestinian universities, which will include research partnerships and scholarly exchanges. Within its resources, the University will assist with, and support, the restoration of post-secondary education in Gaza.
The University will recommend to the Senate that it explore the feasibility of implementing a Palestine Studies minor under the Interdisciplinary and Critical Studies Department. Courses under this program will aim to explore Palestine in all of its dimensions.
Finally, the encampers have forced the University to violate institutional neutrality and agree with the UN’s demonization of Israel. Windsor has no fricking business to weigh in on the war or politics, for it violates institutional neutrality by taking an official University position on the war. That, of course, chills the speech of those (presumably many) who disagree with the agreement and the stuff that Windsor will say in its capitulation:
Within 72 hours of the ratification of this agreement, the University will send a letter to the Government of Canada calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire. In the letter, it will also urge the Government of Canada to include anti-Palestinian racism within its Anti-Racism Strategy. Further, it will request that the Government of Canada should be generous in the humanitarian aid that it delivers to Palestine in order to enable Gaza to engage in reconstruction for its people, and to assist the Palestinians to realize their right to self-determination. The University will post the letter on its website.
This is in the document linked to at the CBC site, but is crossed out in the copy I was sent. If it really was agreed on, it calls for an academic boycott of Israel.
The University does not hold any active institutional academic partnerships with Israeli institutions. Because of the challenging environment for academic collaboration the University agrees to not pursue any institutional academic agreements with Israeli universities until the right of Palestinian self-determination has been realized, as determined by the United Nations, unless supported by Senate. This does not prevent individual academics at the University of Windsor from working (or collaborating) with academics in Israel.
Finally, there’s this—more taking sides in a conflict and more chilling of speech at Windsor:
For the purposes of the application of its RI Policy, the University recognizes that the United Nations, through its various bodies – including the Secretary General, the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Human Rights Council, the International Court of Justice and human rights commissions of inquiry – has found Israel, the occupying power, to be in serious violation of international law and human rights in the conduct of its occupation of Palestinian territory. It also recognizes that the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has established an active database of companies whom it has identified are engaged with the illegal Israeli settlement enterprise in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Of course there’s bupkes about Hamas violating international law.
This whole document is simply reprehensible, a sickening display of cowardice (and antisemitism) on the part of Windsor University, which commits itself to taking the side of Hamas in the war and providing resources to Palestine and Palestinian students that aren’t offered to Israeli or Jewish students. There are plenty of initiatives against “Islamophobia,” but I don’t see a single one against antisemitism. Does Windsor do all this stuff for Israeli academics, professors, and students? Perhaps they already have similar policies in place with respect to Israel (extra counseling for Jewish students, etc.), but I doubt it.
Again, if you want to see the whole nauseating agreement, click here.