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A manned Mars mission will be undertaken in the near future. Then the need for ‘water’ will become critical. One of the solutions to the problem is making use of the resources on Mars. We take notice of CO2 reduction. The method is to generate H2O from CO2, which is major composition of Martian atmosphere. Nominally, the reaction of CO2 reduction is performed at atmospheric pressure on Earth. However, the nominal pressure of the Martian atmosphere is below 10 torr. Therefore, it is necessary to confirm whether the reaction of CO2 reduction can be performed with same efficiency as on Earth. This paper summarizes the results of a fundamental study of CO2 reduction system for a Mars mission.

Nowadays, space crafts such as a space shuttle take the O2 gas for crew respiration from the earth. However, for long periods of stay in space and far missions such as to the moon, it is not possible to carry sufficient amounts of oxygen. Therefore, there is need to establish other methods of supplying the extra O2 required by the crew under such circumstances. The CO2 reduction system is one method to generate O2 in space.

The authors used a mass spectrometer to determine an SOF reduction mechanism of a diesel oxidation catalyst. The results indicate that SOF reduction lies in the catalytic conversion of high molecular organic matter to low molecular organic matter. And unregulated emissions are also reduced through this conversion. It is also found that the SOF reduction performance is highly dependent up on the condition of the wash coat. There is some limitation to improving diesel oxidation catalyst performance because of the sulfur content found in diesel fuel. Finally, the authors have determined what we think are the specifications of the presently best catalytic converter.