ISRU and ISFR Science and Technology—A Review of the Last 15 Years
In situ resource utilization (ISRU) and in situ fabrication and repair (ISFR) are critical research and technological paradigms for future space exploration. They aim to reduce reliance on Earth-supplied materials by utilizing resources available on celestial bodies, while enabling on-site fabrication and repair through the use and processing of local resources. ISRU and ISFR are strongly interconnected, with the shared objective of enabling more sustainable and autonomous long-duration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. This work presents a comprehensive and critical review of scientific and patent literature published primarily between 2010 and 2025, complemented by selected earlier seminal contributions for context. The analysis provides an integrated perspective on major technological developments, key challenges, and emerging research directions in low-gravity and microgravity environments.
Authors
- Alessandro Concas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4034-656X)
- Roberta Licheri (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5613-2713)
- Alberto Cincotti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8121-9415)
- Selena Montinaro
- Nicola Lai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3436-289X)
- Giacomo Fais (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3918-0400)
- Gabriele Traversari (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1024-1345)
- Antonio Mario Locci
- Roberto Orrù (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3090-7757)
- Antonio Depau
Institutions
- University of Cagliari (IT)
- Alenia Aermacchi (IT)
- Sardegna Ricerche (Italy) (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Technologies
- Published
- 2026-04-10
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies14040220
- Primary Topic
- Planetary Science and Exploration
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca