Harvesting Mars
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/20aug_supercriticalco2.htm

Tony Phillips, Karen Miller, Science@NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, Science@NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center

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This article explains how the first astronauts on Mars will be required to find the resources they need to live on and to explore on the Red Planet itself, since the ability of spaceships to carry cargo is currently quite limited. Scientists are learning how to use carbon dioxide, the most abundant gas in Mars' atmosphere, to harvest rocket fuel and water from the red planet. When carbon dioxide becomes a supercritical fluid it is an effective solvent and can play a major role in extracting useful elements from Martian rock and soil. The article explains how carbon dioxide becomes a supercritical fluid, how it is presently used on Earth, and how it can be used on Mars. Links to related sites are provided, and an audio version is available.

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Subject: Geoscience:Lunar and Planetary Science
Grade Level: High School (9-12), Middle (6-8), College Lower (13-14)
Theme: Teach the Earth:Course Topics:Planetary ScienceKeywords: Supercritical, Solvent