Designing the bioproduction of Martian rocket propellant via a biotechnology-enabled in situ resource utilization strategy

Abstract

Mars colonization demands technological advances to enable the return of humans to Earth. Shipping the propellant and oxygen for a return journey is not viable. Considering the gravitational and atmospheric differences between Mars and Earth, we propose bioproduction of a Mars-specific rocket propellant, 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO), from CO2, sunlight and water on Mars via a biotechnology-enabled in situ resource utilization (bio-ISRU) strategy. Photosynthetic cyanobacteria convert Martian CO2 into sugars that are upgraded by engineered Escherichia coli into 2,3-BDO. A state-of-the-art bio-ISRU for 2,3-BDO production uses 32% less power and requires a 2.8-fold higher payload mass than proposed chemical ISRU strategies, and generates 44 tons of excess oxygen to support colonization. Attainable, model-guided biological and materials optimizations result in an optimized bio-ISRU that uses 59% less power and has a 13% lower payload mass, while still generating 20 tons excess oxygen. Addressing the identified challenges will advance prospects for interplanetary space travel.

Engineered probiotics

“…Thus the industrial production of riboflavin, as a food additive, may find a new direction. Photosynthetic cyanobacteria convert carbon dioxide into monosaccharides, and some researchers have designed an engineered E. coli that can further convert the products of photosynthetic cyanobacteria into 2,3-butanediol [ 59 ]. The study of this engineered microbe is worth digging deeper, and perhaps in the future it can really provide propellant for rocket launches and be used as return material for interstellar travel, just as researchers designed.…”

Theoretical design of a space bioprocessing system to produce recombinant proteins

“…The copyright holder for this preprint this version posted September 22, 2022. ; https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.09. 20.508767 doi: bioRxiv preprint 4 systems must minimize cost and crew time, while assuring astronaut safety and addressing effects of increased radiation and reduced gravity 14-17 . Previous space biomanufacturing studies and reviews evaluated large-scale mission design 8,18,19 , microbial growth kinetics 20 , and bioreactor design [20][21][22] . Extracting products of interest at sufficient quality is equally essential to develop biomanufacturing.…”

“…Previous space biomanufacturing studies and reviews evaluated large-scale mission design 8,18,19 , microbial growth kinetics 20…”

“…Previous space biomanufacturing studies and reviews evaluated large-scale mission design 8,18,19 , microbial growth kinetics 20 , and bioreactor design 20–22 . Extracting products of interest at sufficient quality is equally essential to develop biomanufacturing.…”

Carcinogenesis induced by space radiation: A systematic review

“…The rapid development of space science and technology has unlocked many mysteries of the universe and brought many favorable conditions to human life, such as space breeding [9] , communication satellite, and production of new materials [10] , [11] , [12] . However, the health risk of astronauts is a problem that must be faced in the development of deep spaceflight, especially that of space radiation [13] , [14] , [15] .…”