Ceres: A Strategic Hub for Deep-Space Exploration

Abstract

Utilizing Ceres as a refueling station and potential habitat for deep-space missions will be addressed in this study. This includes and investigates the challenges posed by Ceres’s low solar flux on in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) processes. The planetary protection concerns related to potential back contamination will be addressed in this research. This study proposes strategies to make use of Ceres’s resources effectively while ensuring compliance with planetary protection protocols. Ceres is a potential body as it is abundant in water ice and hydrated minerals. However, the low solar flux and back-contamination risks require inventive solutions, such as solar-nuclear hybrid systems and strict sterilization protocols.