In situ resource utilization (ISRU) is the practice of generating resources when humans are away from Earth. The goals of ISRU include the generation of rocket propellants, building materials, and life sustaining commodities from such resources as the Mars atmosphere, lunar regolith, and even trash.

There are many technology options that are currently at different technology readiness levels. This talk will review some of the more mature ISRU technologies and show were electrochemical processes have the potential to be a better option. The generation of oxygen from lunar regolith has been demonstrated using hydrogen and carbothermal reduction processes. Electrolysis of regolith when it is molten or dissolved has the potential for increased yields.

Propellant production on Mars can be achieved through capture of carbon dioxide from the Mars atmosphere and water from the Mars soil. The water is split to oxygen and hydrogen, which is used to reduce carbon dioxide to methane, resulting in production of methane and oxygen. The co-electrolysis of carbon dioxide and water can produce methane and oxygen in a single process vessel, reducing the complexity of the overall system. Recent work has shown that this can be done when carbon dioxide is dissolved in an ionic liquid. The same ionic liquid shows a high capacity for carbon dioxide uptake and can be used to collect carbon dioxide.

Because ISRU systems are extremely mass constrained, there is a need for gas and water cleanup methods that do not use consumables. Some of the ISRU cleanup challenges and potential solutions, such as electro-dialysis to clean water, will be discussed.