Description: Low-cost science mission demonstration of in-situ propellants. Build and test in a relevant environment a Mars propellant production plant of an appropriate scale for an initial demonstration on Mars. It will produce sufficient propellants for a small science hopper vehicle to hop 2 km every 30 days. Specific objectives include: • Validate the performance of specific components included in the design from ref. 2 • Acquire data for a range of operating conditions for the CO2 acquisition devices to enable design improvements • Develop realistic estimates of the mass and volume of the 'other' components (valves, plumbing, wiring, etc.)

Benefits:

Will provide a stepping-stone approach to build confidence in using in-situ propellants in a sample return.