The Exploration Sabatier (ExS) Project will design and produce a technology that recovers oxygen (O₂) from CO₂ at exploration atmosphere pressures and operates safely in an enriched oxygen environment. The minimum success criteria for this project are that the ExS EDU safely converts CO₂ to water at exploration atmosphere pressures and operate safely in an enriched oxygen environment. The ExS Project addresses concerns regarding O₂ recovery and multiple requests concerning water use and water resupply specified in NPD 1001.0. The goals, objectives, and metrics that define the ExS Project’s success are tabulated in Table 1.2.1 which are aligned with the ESDMD Roadmap and both Lunar and Martian mission needs mentioned in ESDMD-001 Rev B.

Having a Sabatier Reactor unit capable at operating in sub-ambient conditions in an enriched oxygen environment provides NASA with a viable life support system technology capable of converting carbon dioxide to water in habitats beyond low-earth orbit.

Recovering water from carbon dioxide is beneficial because, stoichiometrically, 50% of the oxygen that resides in carbon dioxide can be recovered and made into breathable oxygen for the crew. Since carbon dioxide is a byproduct of the human respiration cycle, this reduces the amount of water uptake required for generating oxygen onboard and allows for an extension in logistic resupply of water to these habitats.