Extraction of Water from Martian Regolith Simulant via Open Reactor Concept

Abstract: To demonstrate proof of concept water extraction from simulated Martian regolith, an open reactor design is presented along with experimental results. The open reactor concept avoids sealing surfaces and complex moving parts. In an abrasive environment like the Martian surface, those reactor elements would be difficult to maintain and present a high probability of failure. A general lunar geotechnical simulant was modified by adding borax decahydrate (Na2B4O7ยท10H2O) (BDH) to mimic the ~ 3 per…