A compilation of lunar and Mars exploration strategies utilizing indigenous propellants

The use of propellants manufactured from indigenous space materials has the potential to significantly reduce the amount of mass required to be launched from the Earth's surface. The extent of the leverage, however, along with the cost for developing the infrastructure necessary to support such a process, is unclear. Many mission analyses have been performed that have attempted to quantify the potential benefits of in situ propellant utilization. Because the planning of future space missions includes many unknowns, the presentation of any single study on the use of in situ propellants is often met with critics' claims of the inaccuracy of assumptions or omission of infrastructure requirements. The results of many such mission analyses are presented in one format. Each summarized mission analysis used different assumptions and baseline mission scenarios. The conclusion from the studies is that the use of in situ produced propellants will provide significant reductions in Earth launch requirements. This result is consistent among all of the analyses regardless of the assumptions used to obtain the quantitative results. The determination of the best propellant combination and the amount of savings will become clearer and more apparent as the technology work progresses.