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<title>NASA's Innovative Approach: Creating Rocket Fuel from Martian Soil – Big Think</title><br />
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<span class="absolute uppercase font-emphasis-eyebrow">Surprising Science — <time class="entry-date published" datetime="2018-11-01T19:45:56-04:00">November 1, 2018</time></span><br />
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NASA scientists are making significant strides in developing robots that can generate methane to address the challenges of space travel.<br />
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NASA researchers are addressing the substantial fuel weight issue for Mars missions by proposing to extract fuel from Martian regolith.<br />
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The method entails extracting hydrogen from Martian water and combining it with atmospheric carbon to create methane.<br />
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This groundbreaking strategy may effectively tackle the fuel weight dilemma for upcoming missions to Mars.<br />
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<p>NASA scientists are exploring a transformative approach that could significantly enhance the viability of missions to Mars. Without such innovations, astronauts might face dire circumstances reminiscent of classic science fiction tales, stranded on an alien world.</p><br />
<p>One of the major challenges is the impracticality of transporting all the necessary fuel for a successful return journey to Earth. To counter this issue, NASA is investigating ways to utilize Martian resources effectively.</p><br />
<p>A promising strategy involves extracting water from Martian soil, or regolith, and breaking it down into hydrogen and oxygen. Subsequently, the hydrogen can be combined with carbon sourced from the Martian atmosphere to produce methane, a viable rocket fuel.</p><br />
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<h3>Generating Fuel from Martian Regolith</h3><br />
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<p>The robot designated for this task, known as RASSOR (Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot), is currently undergoing testing. This technology aims to process Martian surface materials into both rocket fuel and energy sources for potential future colonies on Mars.</p><br />
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