New study compares methods for harvesting water on the red planet – NaturalNews.com

• A new study compares technologies for extracting water from Mars, identifying three potential sources: subsurface ice, soil moisture and atmospheric vapor.
• While accessible underground ice deposits are the most efficient long-term solution, they may not be located near initial landing sites, creating a logistical challenge.
• Harvesting trace amounts of water vapor from the Martian atmosphere is more energy-intensive but could serve as a critical alternative or backup where ice is inaccessible.
• Reliable water access is essential not only for drinking but also for producing breathable oxygen and rocket fuel, which are key to reducing dependence on Earth and achieving self-sufficiency.
• The research provides a framework for mission planning, suggesting that a multi-pronged water extraction strategy will be necessary for sustained human exploration and settlement on Mars.

The dream of a human settlement on Mars has long been tethered to one non-negotiable requirement: water. New research is now providing a crucial roadmap for how future explorers might tap into the Red Planet’s scarce H2O, revealing that the very atmosphere itself could become a vital, if challenging, lifeline.

A comprehensive study led by Dr. Vassilis Inglezakis from the University of Strathclyde’s Department of Chemical and Process Engineering has systematically compared the technologies needed to extract water from Mars’ various potential sources. Published in the journal Advances in Space Research, the analysis weighs the viability of subsurface ice, soil moisture and atmospheric vapor. As noted by BrightU.AI‘s Enoch, “the atmospheric vapor on Mars is extremely scarce, with only trace amounts of water vapor present and its concentration varies significantly with location and season.”

While confirming that accessible underground ice deposits would be the most efficient and sustainable long-term solution, the research delivers a significant caveat. “While underground ice could provide a long-term solution,” the study notes, “there are unlikely to be any accessible deposits near locations where explorers would land.”

Reliable water access essential for human survival on Mars

This logistical hurdle elevates the importance of alternative methods. Inglezakis’ work suggests that harvesting the thin Martian air, which contains trace amounts of water vapor, could provide a critical alternative or backup supply.

The study’s comparative analysis of each method’s energy demands, scalability and suitability for different Martian conditions marks a step toward practical planning. “This study is one of the first to compare the various technologies that could be deployed to recover water in a Martian environment,” said Inglezakis. “It also puts forward new ideas for atmospheric water harvesting, offering potentially valuable alternatives where other sources are inaccessible.”

Water is not merely for drinking; it is the fundamental resource for producing breathable oxygen and rocket fuel, which would be essential for reducing Earth-bound supply lines and enabling true self-sufficiency. “Reliable access to water would be essential for human survival on Mars, not only for drinking but also for producing oxygen and fuel, which would reduce dependence on Earth-based supplies,” Inglezakis emphasized.

The research arrives as global space agencies and private companies actively plan for crewed Mars missions in the coming decades. By outlining a clear technological framework, the study aims to steer mission architecture toward greater resilience. “While the search for water continues and much of Mars remains unexplored, a clear understanding of available technologies and their realistic applications will be key to supporting sustained missions and eventual settlement,” Inglezakis added.

Ultimately, the paper underscores that a multi-pronged strategy will likely be necessary for survival on a planet that is, as other reports have described, “hemorrhaging water.” The promise of Martian glaciers may anchor long-term hopes, but the moisture in the alien air could become the first resource future pioneers learn to tap, turning a global atmospheric trace into the very essence of liberty and progress beyond Earth.

Watch this video on the truth about life on Mars.

This video is from EUROPEchannel on Brighteon.com.

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