Designing the bioproduction of Martian rocket propellant via a biotechnology-enabled in situ resource utilization strategy.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 34697313.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-021-26393-7 and PMC identifier 8546151.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Mars colonization demands technological advances to enable the return of humans to Earth. Shipping the propellant and oxygen for a return journey is not viable. Considering the gravitational and atmospheric differences between Mars and Earth, we propose bioproduction of a Mars-specific rocket propellant, 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO), from CO<sub>2</sub>, sunlight and water on Mars via a biotechnology-enabled in situ resource utilization (bio-ISRU) strategy. Photosynthetic cyanobacteria convert Martian CO<sub>2</sub> into sugars that are upgraded by engineered Escherichia coli into 2,3-BDO. A state-of-the-art bio-ISRU for 2,3-BDO production uses 32% less power and requires a 2.8-fold higher payload mass than proposed chemical ISRU strategies, and generates 44 tons of excess oxygen to support colonization. Attainable, model-guided biological and materials optimizations result in an optimized bio-ISRU that uses 59% less power and has a 13% lower payload mass, while still generating 20 tons excess oxygen. Addressing the identified challenges will advance prospects for interplanetary space travel.
Medical subject headings
- Biotechnology
- Mars
- Renewable Energy
- Spacecraft