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. | + | '''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".) |
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. | 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. | ||
| − | ISRU can be categorized into production of materials useful at the current location, primarily | + | ISRU can be categorized into production of materials useful at the current location, primarily: |
*life support | *life support | ||
*propellant | *propellant | ||
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*raw materials for other production useful for habitat expansion | *raw materials for other production useful for habitat expansion | ||
| − | materials produced for use elsewhere in space | + | materials produced for use elsewhere in space: |
*propellant for exploration and colonization | *propellant for exploration and colonization | ||
*building materials for habitats and spacecraft | *building materials for habitats and spacecraft | ||
| − | and materials produced as commodities for possible sale back to Earth | + | and materials produced as commodities for possible sale back to Earth: |
| − | * | + | *high-value materials, such as [[Platinum Group Metals]] |
| − | *nickel and iron | + | *bulk materials, such as nickel and iron refined from asteroidal resources |
*materials for manufacture of solar power satellites to export energy to Earth | *materials for manufacture of solar power satellites to export energy to Earth | ||
| Line 22: | Line 22: | ||
*[[List of ISRU]] | *[[List of ISRU]] | ||
*[[LUNOX]] | *[[LUNOX]] | ||
| + | *[[Resource Values | Value of commodities]] | ||
Revision as of 15:50, 10 January 2007
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".)
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.
ISRU can be categorized into production of materials useful at the current location, primarily:
- life support
- propellant
- radiation shielding
- structural materials
- raw materials for other production useful for habitat expansion
materials produced for use elsewhere in space:
- propellant for exploration and colonization
- building materials for habitats and spacecraft
and materials produced as commodities for possible sale back to Earth:
- high-value materials, such as Platinum Group Metals
- bulk materials, such as nickel and iron refined from asteroidal resources
- materials for manufacture of solar power satellites to export energy to Earth
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