Mars Regolith Cascade Processing System (MRCPS): A Terrain-Coupled Multi-Output In-Situ Resource Utilization Architecture for Long-Term Mars Settlement

This working paper presents the Mars Regolith Cascade Processing System (MRCPS), a conceptual industrial architecture designed to support long-term Mars settlement through integrated, multi-output resource recovery from Martian regolith.

Unlike conventional single-purpose resource extraction approaches, MRCPS treats regolith as a multi-resource feedstock capable of simultaneously supporting water recovery, magnetic mineral concentration, aggregate production, selective beneficiation, gravity-assisted logistics, and future oxygen and metallurgy pathways. The architecture is founded on the principle that each excavation event should maximize total resource value while minimizing redundant handling and infrastructure requirements.

A central innovation of the framework is the concept of terrain-coupled development, in which Martian mesas, scarps, canyons, and fretted terrain are treated as active industrial assets rather than obstacles. By leveraging natural topographic relief, the system investigates opportunities for gravity-assisted excavation, material transport, and energy recovery.

The paper presents the complete MRCPS architecture, including site selection assessments, resource recovery pathways, mass-flow modelling, energy balance assessments, selective beneficiation strategies, oxygen recovery concepts, and long-term industrial development scenarios. Particular attention is given to northern mid-latitude regions such as Deuteronilus Mensae, Arcadia Planitia, and Protonilus Mensae, which offer promising combinations of shallow ice accessibility and terrain relief.

This document is intended as a public prior-art disclosure and conceptual research framework. The concepts described remain preliminary and require substantial future modelling, experimental validation, site-specific analysis, and engineering development. The objective is to stimulate discussion regarding integrated, terrain-coupled approaches to Mars in-situ resource utilization and long-term planetary industrialization.