A team of Iranian engineers has studied the feasibility of building habitats on Mars using local materials, including Martian soil and human bodily fluids. The study, published in Acta Astronautica, aims to develop a sustainable construction method for future Mars settlers.
The authors focused on Martian cement, which is rich in essential elements for different types of concrete. However, not all regoliths are equally useful, so they propose surface scans to find the best surface materials mixes. The team also explored the use of organic binders, such as “blood concrete” or AstroCrete, which can be made from human bodily fluids like sweat, tears, and urine.
The study highlights the challenges of building on Mars, including harsh environmental conditions and limited energy resources. However, it suggests that solar energy could be a viable option for powering construction equipment. The authors also propose using sulfur concrete as a promising avenue for structures on Mars.
The long-term goal is to establish a self-sustaining city on Mars, accommodating at least a million people. The study emphasizes the need for further research into materials and the Martian environment using data from current and future missions.
According to Omid Karimzade Soureshjani et al., developing sustainable construction methods for Mars is crucial for establishing a human settlement. Their study contributes to this effort by exploring the feasibility of local materials and organic binders for Martian construction.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2024-12-concrete-mars-local-materials.html