In Situ Resource Utilization

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

• Cast Basalt
  
• Glass Fiber
• Lunar Cement
• Sulfurous Concrete
• Sintered Regolith
• Steam Injected Concrete

Rocket Fuel

see In-Situ Propellant Production

Lunar Oxygen (LUNOX)

(see also listing on LUNOX page)

• Ilmenite Reduction
• Glass Reduction
• Fluorine reaction
• Magma electrolysis
• Aluminum reduction
• Carbothermal reduction
• Methane reduction

Metals

• Free Iron
• Aluminum
• Magnesium
• Titanium

Lunar Gasses (other than oxygen)

• Hydrogen from electrolysis of Lunar Polar water and regolith deposits
• Helium including Helium 3.
• Argon
• Nitrogen
• Neon
• Radon
• Carbon Dioxide
• Carbon Monoxide
• Methane
• Hydrogen Sulfide

• Volatiles

Related Articles

• LUNOX
• Ore Bodies
• Value of commodities
• Lunar outgassing
• List of Resources
• List of Construction Materials

External Links

• In Situ Resource Utilization at Wikipedia
• Mining the moon article at Space.com