Water Electrolysis for Propulsion of a Crewed Mars Mission

What is it about?

NASA's Mars Design Reference Architecture 5.0 uses cryogenic propellant for its in-space chemical propulsion. Because of the long duration of a crewed mission to Mars, this requires storage of cryogenic fluids for multiple years. We present an alternative using water electrolysis propulsion. Water is inert and easy to handle, with an indefinite storage life. Therefore, tanks of liquid water can be pre-positioned for refueling. This addresses a key technology gap in the mission and makes possible the use of water resources found on the Moon or elsewhere to reduce the total number of launches required.

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