Aaron Paz
Papers
2
Total Citations
34
H-Index
2
About
Aaron Paz is a leading aerospace engineer specializing in In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) for planetary exploration, with a focus on enabling sustainable human missions to the Moon and Mars. His most influential work, the 2015 paper "Mars ISRU for Production of Mission Critical Consumables," which has garnered 32 citations, provides a comprehensive review of technologies for producing rocket propellant, oxygen, and water from Mars' carbon dioxide atmosphere. This study builds on foundational concepts from the 1970s and evaluates current state-of-the-art options, directly informing NASA's strategy for reducing launch mass and mission costs. Paz also contributed to the RESOLVE project, preparing and testing ice-enriched lunar regolith simulants for the OVEN instrument, which aims to extract volatiles from the lunar south pole. His hands-on work with simulants and thermal extraction systems has been critical for validating hardware before deployment. With a career bridging theoretical frameworks and experimental validation, Paz is a key figure in advancing ISRU from concept to operational reality, directly supporting the Artemis program's goal of a sustained lunar presence and future Mars exploration.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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