If we want to live happily ever after on Mars, spaceships won't be enough. We'll need a Martian city - and this is how we could build it. In many ways, the problem of moving to Mars is a simple problem of moving things. We need a lot (food, water, shelter) to stay alive, and the only way to ensure that we have this opportunity, at least at first, is to take everything with us. How turtles carry their house on their backs. If we want to live on Mars, and this will be life, and not a walk or a scientific expedition, we will have to work hard and provide our mortal flesh with everything we need.
We will need a large infrastructure, including strong houses that will last for a long time. We need agricultural buildings and warehouses. We will need roads for transportation. And all this will have to be done from concrete. Therefore, scientists from the Department of Civil Engineering at Northwestern University are working on an unusual project: how one could turn Martian mud into Martian concrete.
In a paper that appeared on arXiv, lead researcher Lin Won and her colleagues outlined the process of mixing molten sulfur with Martian mud and let it solidify. The idea is interesting, but the question arises: how can we deliver all the necessary materials?
Scientists hope that the first inhabitants of Mars will be able to find and then extract sulfur on Mars. Once the source is found, traditional concrete mixing methods, or perhaps slightly modified versions, will be used. “The easiest way would be to find a sulfur mine on Mars,” Vaughn said. - Otherwise, it will be necessary to chemically extract sulfur from sulfates or other forms. Hot mixing could easily be done with solar energy. The final construction step will require some formwork to bring the Martian concrete to the desired shape. Perhaps not without 3D printing technology. And once that’s all done, Vaughn says the process can be repeated for any structure, including roads, tunnels, bridges, and houses.
As of now, Martian concrete has yet to undergo actual testing on Mars. Scientists believe this concrete will be three times stiffer under Mars' reduced gravity. However, there may be some dangers that will manifest themselves more strongly on Mars.
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“The only limiting factor will be high temperature or fire resistance,” says Vaughn. “If, for example, astronauts build a room of Martian concrete and fill it with oxygen, cook something and start a fire, the wall of Martian concrete will melt. It will take some protection or smart technology for living spaces like on Earth."
Of course, building a city is one thing; life in it can be even more difficult. Until that happens, there are still a number of obstacles to be overcome. How to regulate temperatures? How to grow food? Where to get breathable air, clean water and fresh food?
Before we begin construction, we will have to answer these questions. Still, the concrete that can be created on Mars opens up opportunities for the construction of durable buildings. It's much better than living in tents or under a plastic dome.
Based on materials from Gizmodo