Future astronauts could literally scoop up the dirt on Mars and turn it into a chemical factory to make their own rocket fuel for the trip home.
April 13, 2026
Original Paper
Additive manufacturing of Martian regolith simulant for in-situ carbon monoxide production
SSRN · 6559460
The Takeaway
Researchers found that 3D-printing Martian soil creates a structure that can spark the chemical reactions needed to make propellant. This means missions won't need to haul heavy fuel factories from Earth.
From the abstract
This study demonstrates the possibility of preparing 3D-printed Martian regolith structures as catalysts for in-situ propellant production on Mars, utilizing local resources which reduces reliance on Earth-based resources. 3D-printed Martian regolith simulants were tested for CO production via the reaction of CO2 and H2, achieving high selectivity towards CO with minimal CH4 formation. Structures printed from magnetically treated MGS-1 simulant exhibited superior catalytic performance compared