2019-06-262019-06-262019-07-07ICES_2019_77https://hdl.handle.net/2346/84786Carolina Franco, AECOM, USARobert Devor, Southeastern Universities Research Association, USASarah J. Snyder, AECOM, USAElspeth M. Petersen, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), USAPaul Hintze, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), USAICES308: Advanced Technologies for In-Situ Resource UtilizationThe 49th International Conference on Environmental Systems as held in Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 07 July 2019 through 11 July 2019.NASA is currently developing technologies for use in the field of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). One of the technologies being advanced is the Sabatier, or methanation, reactor which converts carbon dioxide and hydrogen into methane gas and water at high temperatures. This paper discusses the catalyst life and performance issues for these reactors that would be expected on Mars and describes the test methods employed and observed results. The various catalysts were tested in their capacity for the continuous production of methane gas via the Sabatier reaction and the possible effects of launch vibration loads, exposure to liquid water, particulate contamination, and chemical contamination to the overall observed reaction efficacy of the catalysts evaluated.application/pdfengSabatierreactorcatalystpropellantmethanein-situPresentations