Design and Experimental Validation of a Martian Water Extraction System

This paper discusses the design and realization of a robotic water extraction system used to harvest subsurface ice from a simulated Martian environment. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has discovered ice buried approximately 1-2 m below the surface at the mid-latitudes of Mars. Access to this vital resource could greatly contribute to the success of a human mission to Mars. Our research and development effort into the in-situ procurement of water on Mars was guided by the 2018 NASA Revolutionary Aerospace System Concepts Academic Linkages (RASC-AL) Mars Ice Challenge. The focus of the challenge was to validate design concepts that maximize water collected from a simulated Martian test-bed using a robotic system. The steering committee provided the team with a design framework including functional, operational, and physical requirements. For this challenge, the team developed the Planetary Articulating Water Extraction System (PAWES). PAWES uses an auger based drilling system in combination with an articulating water extraction tool to collect water from subsurface ice deposits. In this paper, we present potential solutions to ice extraction on Mars, an overview of the PAWES system, and experimental results of prototype testing in terrestrial conditions. Additionally, we will discuss lessons learned from the implementation and validation of PAWES to guide further development of Martian water extraction systems.