National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Small Business Innovation Research & Technology Transfer 2004 Program Solicitations

TOPIC X1 Self-Sufficient Space Systems

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X1.01 In Situ Manufacturing
X1.02 In Situ Resource Excavation and Separation
X1.03 In Situ Resource Processing and Refining


The goal of this topic is to drive down the cost of human and robotic exploration missions and campaigns. This includes supporting improved health and safety for human explorers beyond Earth orbit. It also includes working with the space science community to test concepts and technologies. Specific objectives of this topic include:

1. Developing and validating the technology to use local resources, such as regolith and minerals, ices and atmosphere–in order to produce, process, and deliver consumables, including propellants–storable and cryogenic; life support and other gases; and water;
2. Fabricate key physical structural systems and elements from local materials, including radiation shielding; structural elements (e.g., trusses, panels, etc.); and mechanical spares for mission system elements;
3. Enable local fabrication of selected "finished products" and/or "end-items," including photovoltaic cells and solar arrays, wires, tubes, connectors, etc., and pressurized volumes;
4. Testing key technologies and demonstrating innovative new systems concepts in space; and
5. Establishing a foundation for profitable commercial development of space applications of these technologies in the mid- to far-term.

X1.01 In Situ Manufacturing
Lead Center: JSC
Participating Center(s): ARC, KSC, MSFC

The Russian Mir space station and the current International Space Station have many lessons learned that can be applied to NASA's new human exploration vision. There are two lessons, however, that cannot be ignored: launching everything you need from Earth is expensive, and no matter how much you try, things break. The purpose of this subtopic is to identify and experimentally validate In Situ Manufacturing capabilities that include production of sub-element and replacement components, complex products, and assemblies and machines to reduce launch costs, reduce logistics and spares concerns, and enable self-sufficiency and infrastructure growth. In Situ Manufacturing can use either in situ or Earth supplied feedstock, however the long-term goal is to exclusively use in situ processed feedstock. In situ produced feedstock will be provided by processes developed in the SBIR subtopic, X1.03 In Situ Resource Processing & Refining. Technical areas included in the subtopic are:


To be able to make replacement or spare parts, structures, and complex assemblies and machines, manufacturing and assembly processes are required for the different materials parts and assemblies will be made from (metal, polymer, ceramic, and composites). Non-destructive evaluation (NDE) processes are also required to verify that the parts and assemblies manufactured have the required properties, and internal quality. Metrology processes will be required to ensure that parts meet dimensional and surface finish requirements. For in situ manufacturing and evaluation processes to be beneficial, compared to bringing everything from Earth, it must be capable of producing 100s to 1000s of times their own mass of product in their useful lifetimes, with reasonable quality, and be able to make a wide variety of parts and assemblies of different shapes and sizes for the feedstock material selected. Proposed manufacturing and assembly processes must also be easily transportable, require the minimum of power and Earth supplied processing consumables needed to perform its function, operate in microgravity or partial-gravity environments, and require the minimum of maintenance, human supervision, crew operation, and crew training.

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X1.02 In Situ Resource Excavation and Separation
Lead Center: JSC
Participating Center(s): ARC, KSC, MSFC

The goal of using the resources that are available at the site of exploration and pursuing the philosophy of "living off the land" instead of bringing it all the way from Earth, is to achieve a reduction in launch and delivered mass for exploration missions, a reduction in mission risk and cost, and to exp and the human presence in space. The purpose of this subtopic is to identify and investigate In Situ Resource Excavation and Separation capabilities that include resource characterization and prospecting, excavation and delivery to resource processing units, and simple extraction and separation of desired resources from the bulk resource. Extracted and separated resources from In Situ Resource Excavation and Separation processes are to be delivered and used in SBIR subtopic X1.03, In Situ Resource Processing and Refining. To be successfully implemented, In Situ Resource Excavation and Separation proposals must minimize the mass which must be brought from the Earth, must minimize the mass which must be brought from the Earth, including the mass of the required power system and Earth-supplied processing consumables, and produce 100s of times their own mass of extracted resource in their useful lifetimes. These processes may also be required to operate in extreme temperature and abrasive environments, and in microgravity (asteroids, comets, Mars, moons, etc.) or partial-gravity (e.g., Moon and Mars). In addition, the maintenance, human supervision, crew operation, and crew training required for process operation must be minimal and affordable. Technical areas included in the subtopic follow:


Proposals of interest include:

(1) Developing technologies, processes, and systems for robotic precursor and early human missions to the moon in the areas of resource characterization, excavation and extraction of lunar resources (especially in the polar regions), and performing initial resource separation and collection of water, regolith volatiles, or feedstock for in situ manufacturing (X1.01) or in situ processing (X1.03).

(2) Developing technologies, processes, and systems for robotic precursor missions to Mars in the areas of resource characterization, excavation and extraction of Mars resources, and performing initial resource separation and collection of atmospheric gases, regolith water and volatiles, or feedstock for in situ processing (X1.03).

For processing concepts that can be used on robotic precursor missions, payload masses (including rovers) are typically below 300 kg. Robotic precursor concepts must demonstrate critical functions and must be scalable to human mission needs. Excavation and separation proposals must show supportability to future resource processing needs.

Excavation and separation needs for lunar missions depend on the resource of interest, location and concentration of the resource, and the processing technology considered. Mars sample return missions that incorporate in situ propellant production require atmospheric carbon dioxide collection and possibly atmospheric or regolith water extraction to support the production of 300–2000 kg of propellant depending on the size of the same and whether the mission is a Mars orbit rendezvous or direct Earth return mission. Mars mission surface durations are 30–90 days for opposition class missions and 450–600 days for conjunction class missions. Mars human ascent vehicles typically require 20,000–30,000 kg of propellant. Fuel cell reagent consumption rates depend on the power required for the application, the reagents, and the fuel cell technology used. EVA suits and small rovers can require 500 W to 1 kW of power/hour, unpressurized rovers can require 3–6 kW of power/hour and pressurized rovers can require 10 kW/hour and above.

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X1.03 In Situ Resource Processing and Refining
Lead Center: JSC
Participating Center(s): ARC, KSC, MSFC

The goal of In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) is to utilize resources that are available at the site of exploration, pursuing the philosophy of "make what you need where you need it" instead of bringing it all the way from Earth, with the intent of achieving a reduction of mass requirements for exploration missions, a reduction in mission risk and cost, and expanded human presence in space. The purpose of this subtopic is to identify and experimentally validate single and multistep In Situ Resource Processing and Refining processes that have the potential for achieving the goal of ISRU. Such processes may include thermal, chemical, and electrical processing of extracted resources into useful products. In Situ Resource Processing and Refining includes efficient and economical production of propellants, mission critical consumables, life support gases and water, and feedstock (such as silicon, aluminum, iron, and polymers) for use in In Situ Manufacturing (X1.01), from resources that have been extracted and separated using processes defined and developed under In Situ Resource Excavation & Separation (X1.02). To be successfully implemented, In Situ Resource Processing & Refining proposals must minimize the mass which must be brought from the Earth, including the mass of the required power system and Earth-supplied processing consumables, and produce 100s to 1000s of times their own mass of product in their useful lifetimes. In addition, the maintenance, human supervision, crew operation, and crew training required for process operation must be minimal and affordable. Technical areas included in the subtopic are:


Process evaluation metrics include mass of product made per hour, final mass of product per mass of processor, Watts per mass of resource processed per hour, percentage conversion of resources into product in a single pass, and mass of Earth consumables used per mass of in situ product made.

Proposals of interest include:

(1) Developing technologies, processes, and systems for robotic precursor and early human missions to the Moon in the areas of processing of lunar resources into oxygen, propellants, and feedstock for in situ manufacturing; and

(2) Developing technologies, processes, and systems for robotic precursor missions or eventual human missions to Mars which produce mission critical consumables, such as oxygen, propellants, life support gases, fuel cell reagents, and in situ manufacturing feedstock. Robotic and human missions to Mars that consider initial or evolutionary use of ISRU consumables currently assume the use of liquid oxygen and hydrocarbon fuel (methane, propane, methanol, ethanol, or low freezing point mixtures) propellants for propulsion systems and mobile fuel cell power systems.

For processing concepts that can be used on robotic precursor missions, payload masses (including rovers) are typically below 300 kg. Robotic precursor concepts must demonstrate critical functions and must be scalable to human mission needs. Mars sample return missions that incorporate in situ propellant production require 300–2000 kg of propellant depending on the size of the same and whether the mission is a Mars orbit rendezvous or direct Earth return mission. Breathing rates for astronauts are approximately 0.07 kg of oxygen (O2)/person/hr in habitats and 0.1 kg/person/hr for Extra-Vehicular Activities (EVAs). Early human lunar mission surface durations may vary from 3–45 days and can include from 2–6 crewmembers. Lunar human landers require approximately 5000–8000 kg of propellant for ascent and approximately 15,000–25,000 kg for landing and ascent combined. Mars mission surface durations are 30–90 days for opposition class missions and 450–600 days for conjunction class missions. Mars human ascent vehicles typically require 20,000–30,000 kg of propellant. Fuel cell reagent consumption rates depend on the power required for the application, the reagents, and the fuel cell technology used. EVA suits and small rovers can require 500W to 1 kW of power/hour, unpressurized rovers can require 3–6 kW of power/hour and pressurized rovers can require 10 kW/hour and above.

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