Identifying space resources is essential to establish an off-Earth human presence on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. One method for determining the composition and mineralogy of planetary surfaces is thermal infrared emission spectroscopy. I investigated this technique as a potential tool to explore for magmatic Ni-Cu±PGE sulfide deposits by producing and measuring a 100% sulfide (pyrrhotite) sample derived from the Stillwater Complex. Pyrrhotite violates key assumptions used to calibrate thermal infrared emission data, making extraterrestrial sulfides “appear colder” than their actual physical temperature, and their spectra will contain a negative slope. To derive the absolute emissivity of graybody minerals more accurately, I developed a new measurement technique, which demonstrates that pyrrhotite is spectrally featureless in the mid-infrared and has a maximum emissivity of ~0.7. Magmatic sulfide deposits are commonly associated with silicates. Thus, emissivity spectra of sulfide/silicate mixtures were acquired to further understand how sulfide prospecting would be conducted on rocky bodies such as Mars. I demonstrate that as sulfide increases, the apparent brightness temperature decreases linearly and, if left unaccounted for, will contribute a negative spectral slope in their emissivity spectra. The presence of sulfide also reduces the magnitude of all the silicate’s diagnostic spectral features, which is linear as sulfide increases. A linear retrieval algorithm was also applied to the mixture spectra, demonstrating that sulfide could be detected at abundances of ≥10 modal %. The main resource being targeted for mining on the Moon is water ice. Thus, a mining map tool of the Lunar South Pole that incorporates temperature, illumination, Earth visibility, and slope data was developed to identify the most suitable locations for water ice mining and establishing bases for operations. The map is also used to assess the mining potential of the Artemis III candidate landing regions. Finally, space mining must be governed, but no framework has yet to be established. I propose a governance structure, notification system, contract system, best mining practices, and area-based environmental regulations to manage water ice mining activities. The Lunar Mining Map Tool’s block system is used as a spatial planning tool to administer the governance framework and facilitate management.

The presence of ices (H2O and CO2) and liquid water is key to the evolution ofmartian geology, with implications for the potential for past or extant life, and the future of robotic and human exploration on Mars. In this dissertation, I present the first direct evidence that the smooth deposits covering mid-latitude, martian pole-facing slopes are composed of shallow dusty H2O ice covered by desiccated material. To analyze this H2O ice, I developed the first validated radiative transfer model for dusty martian snow and glacier ice. I found that these ice exposures have < 1% dust in them, and discovered the lowest latitude detection of H2O ice on Mars, at 32.9°S. After observing the ice disappear, and new gully channels form, I proposed a model for gully formation. In this model, dusty ice gets exposed by slumping, leading to melting in the subsurface and channels eroding within the ice and the wall rock beneath. Access to liquid water within this ice could provide potential abodes for any extant life. Next, I developed novel methodology to search for CO2 frosts within the entire Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) infrared dataset and found that about half of all gullies overlap with CO2 frost detections. I also used the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) water vapor retrievals to assess the formation and distribution of H2O frosts on Mars. Additionally, I used radar data from the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) instrument to investigate Mars’ ice-rich South Polar Layered Deposits (SPLD). I discovered radar signals similar to those proposed to be caused by a subglacial lake throughout the martian SPLD. Finally, I mapped martian polygonal ridge networks thought to represent fossilized remnants of ancient groundwater near the Perseverance rover landing site with the help of citizen scientists across a fifth of Mars’ total surface area and analyzed their thermophysical properties. All these studies highlight the key role that ices and liquid water have played in shaping Mars’ landscape through time, and provide an intriguing path forward in martian exploration and the search for alien life.