Sabatier reaction

The Sabatier reaction creates methane (a possible fuel for launch vehicles and rovers) and water from hydrogen and carbon dioxide, at high temperature and elevated pressure, and in the presence of a catalyst (nickel, or better, ruthenium and alumina).

<math>CO_2 + 4H_2 \to \limits^{300^\circ C} CH_4 + 2H_2 O</math>

For Marsian ISRU, hydrogen could be imported from Earth, or produced by water electrolysis. Water could be collected from Marsian sources (see: Water on Mars), and also could be reused from the above reaction itself.

External links and references

• Improved Sabatier Reactions for In Situ Resource Utilization on Mars Missions
• Zubrin, Robert M., Price, S., Mason, L., Clark, L. (1994) "Report on the Construction and Operation of a Mars In-Situ Propellant Production Unit", AIAA 94-2844, AIAA Joint Propellant Conference, Indianapolis, IN, pdf available here.