Elicine

Elicine is a hypothetical compound that has been proposed as a potential source of energy for a future human mission to Mars. The concept was first introduced by a researcher named John Gruenberg. Elicine is envisioned as a substance that could be produced on Mars, potentially by genetically engineered microbes or through a complex chemical process, utilizing Martian resources. The idea is that this substance could then be harvested and used as fuel for rockets, vehicles, or even for generating power, thereby reducing the need to transport large amounts of fuel from Earth.

The scientific basis for elicine is theoretical, and its feasibility remains a subject of ongoing research and speculation. The proposed production methods often involve terraforming aspects of Mars or creating self-sustaining ecosystems. While the idea of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) for fuel production is a key strategy for long-duration space missions, the specific concept of elicine and its proposed mechanisms are not widely established or scientifically validated in the same way as other ISRU concepts like the Sabatier reaction for producing methane and water from Martian carbon dioxide and imported hydrogen. Therefore, elicine is primarily a conceptual idea within the broader discussion of Martian resource utilization.