Difference between revisions of "In Situ Resource Utilization"

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'''In Situ Resource Utilization''' (''ISRU'') refers to the production of useful materials from the resources available at a given location. (The phrase is from the Latin ''in situ'', meaning "at the site", or "in place".)
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'''In Situ Resource Utilization''' (''ISRU'') refers to the production of useful materials from the resources available at a given location. The phrase is from the Latin ''in situ'', meaning "at the site", or "in place." ISRU can be categorized into production of materials useful at the current location, primarily: life support, [[In-Situ Propellant Production | propellant]], radiation shielding, [[List of Construction Materials | construction]] and structural materials, and raw materials for other production useful for habitat expansion.  
  
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One form of ISRU is [[In-Situ Propellant Production]], (''ISPP''), or manufacture of rocket fuel from local resources; the term ISPP is no longer currently much used, in favor of the more generic terminology ISRU, which incorporates use of in-situ resources for uses other than propellant.
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It may be possible to commercialize these processes to produce commodity materials for use elsewhere in space, including propellant for further colonization and exploration as well as materials for habitats and spacecraft.  Some of the commodities may also be sold back to earth.  High value materials include rare isotopes deposited by the solar wind and [[Platinum Group Metals | platinum group metals]].  Bulk commodities consist of nickel and iron mined from asteroids, oxygen, aluminum and titanium from the moon, and other materials for manufacture of structures in space such as [[solar power satellites]].
  
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ISRU can be categorized into production of materials useful at the current location, primarily:
 
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*life support
 
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*propellant
 
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*radiation shielding
 
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*structural materials
 
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*raw materials for other production useful for habitat expansion
 
  
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materials produced for use elsewhere in space:
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==ISRU possible on the moon==
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*propellant for exploration and colonization
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<br>
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*building materials for habitats and spacecraft
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===Construction Materials===
  
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and materials produced as commodities for possible sale back to Earth:
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*[[Cast Basalt]]<BR>
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*high-value materials, such as [[Platinum Group Metals]]
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*[[In Situ Electrical Insulation#Glass Fabric|Glass Fiber]]
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*bulk materials, such as nickel and iron refined from asteroidal resources
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*[[Lunar Cement]]
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*materials for manufacture of solar power satellites to export energy to Earth
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*[[Sulfurous Concrete]]
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*[[Sintered Regolith]]
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*[[Steam Injected Concrete]]
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===Rocket Fuel===
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see [[In-Situ Propellant Production]]
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===Lunar Oxygen ([[LUNOX]])===
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(see also listing on [[LUNOX]] page)
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*[[Ilmenite Reduction]]
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*[[Glass Reduction]]
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*[[Fluorine reaction]]
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*[[Magma electrolysis]]
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*[[Aluminum reduction]]
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*[[Carbothermal reduction]]
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*[[Methane reduction]]
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===Metals===
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*[[Free Iron]]
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*[[Aluminum]]
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*[[Magnesium]]
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*[[Titanium]]
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===Lunar Gasses (other than oxygen)===
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*'''[[Hydrogen]]''' from electrolysis of Lunar Polar water and regolith deposits
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*[[Helium]] including Helium 3.
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*[[Argon]]
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*[[Nitrogen]]
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*[[Neon]]
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*[[Radon]]
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*[[Carbon Dioxide]]
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*[[Carbon Monoxide]]
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*[[Methane]]
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*[[Hydrogen Sulfide]]
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*[[Volatiles]]
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==Related Articles==
  
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==Links==
 
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*[[List of ISRU]]
 
 
*[[LUNOX]]
 
*[[LUNOX]]
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*[[Ore Bodies]]
 
*[[Resource Values | Value of commodities]]
 
*[[Resource Values | Value of commodities]]
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*[[Lunar outgassing]]
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*[[List of Resources]]
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*[[List of Construction Materials]]
  
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==External Links==
  
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<BR/><BR/><BR/>
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*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-Situ_Resource_Utilization In Situ Resource Utilization at Wikipedia]
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*[http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/moon_mining_041110.html Mining the moon article at Space.com]
  
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{{Stub}}
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[[Category:ISRU]]

Latest revision as of 14:57, 10 April 2019

In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) refers to the production of useful materials from the resources available at a given location. The phrase is from the Latin in situ, meaning "at the site", or "in place." ISRU can be categorized into production of materials useful at the current location, primarily: life support, propellant, radiation shielding, construction and structural materials, and raw materials for other production useful for habitat expansion.

It may be possible to commercialize these processes to produce commodity materials for use elsewhere in space, including propellant for further colonization and exploration as well as materials for habitats and spacecraft. Some of the commodities may also be sold back to earth. High value materials include rare isotopes deposited by the solar wind and platinum group metals. Bulk commodities consist of nickel and iron mined from asteroids, oxygen, aluminum and titanium from the moon, and other materials for manufacture of structures in space such as solar power satellites.


ISRU possible on the moon


Construction Materials

Rocket Fuel

see In-Situ Propellant Production

Lunar Oxygen (LUNOX)

(see also listing on LUNOX page)

Metals

Lunar Gasses (other than oxygen)

Related Articles

External Links

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