It will likely be necessary if humans succeed in constructing the first permanent buildings on Mars. Bricks made from Martian regolithBut the construction materials may also require the astronaut’s own blood and other body fluids.
Explorers tasked with establishing a permanent base on Mars will also need to pack strategically. Space is at a premium for rockets that carry rockets to Earth’s neighbors, and the cost and fuel requirements of their missions increase linearly with the amount of cargo. Because of this, early crews have to rely on the resources of their surroundings, namely a lot of stone and dirt. But a millennia-old strategy may help you get the most out of other readily available additives.
Ancient Roman concrete is known for its excellent elasticity, strength, and even self-healing properties. However, masons often used other important materials in brickmaking. blood and urine. Knowing this, a research team from Iran’s Karazmi University recently tested a mixture of multiple potential building materials using different combinations of deposits found on Mars and other easily available ingredients.
[Related: Inside the project to bring ‘self-healing’ Roman concrete to American shorelines.]
“Ancient Romans primarily utilized organic additives, including animal blood, to improve the durability and workability of mortar,” they wrote in a subsequent study published in the same journal. . acta astronautica. “Although it’s a bit strange, blood can be used to make durable concrete and bricks for construction on Mars sites.”
Mars soil contains chemical compositions suitable for multiple types of concrete, depending on the region of Earth. After compiling geological data collected by past Mars landers and rovers, the team identified 11 specific options for future astronauts. These included geopolymers and magnesium-silica mixtures. They then used a 3D printer to create mock building material samples, stress tested them, and recorded the results.
Sulfur-based concrete is likely to be the most reliable starting material for buildings on Mars, the researchers say. But researchers also suggest that another, more exotic candidate could be astrocrete, a modern form of Roman concrete that contains additional human-derived ingredients.
“The manufacturing process is simple: the aggregates (Martian regolith) bind through contact with human serum albumin (HAS), a protein found in blood plasma,” the researchers wrote.
The research team theorizes that one astronaut could generate enough HAS to create the amount of AstroCrete needed to build a single-person residence in about 72 weeks. To increase the compressive strength and plasticity of AstroCrete and reduce its brittleness at the same time, the study authors suggest urea extracted from sweat, tears, and urine as another additive. Another big advantage of AstroCrete is that you don’t need to mix it with water. This is especially useful given Earth’s almost completely dry conditions.
The researchers emphasized that mission engineers and astronauts need to consider more than sulfur-based concrete and Astrocrete when planning bases on Mars. Many other challenges, such as exposure to Earth’s ultraviolet radiation, dangerous climate, low gravity, and lack of water, could all prevent humans from settling there permanently. Success, therefore, “depends on the development of low-cost and practical solutions,” the authors explain, among which “on-site construction leveraging on-site resources has emerged as the most promising approach.” It also includes “being present”. Resources that may include the blood, sweat, and tears of the first Mars visitors.
