Building explorations on Mars

 

As the designs for future Martian dwellings are already taking shape, the technology to build these structures are also being considered. As a matter of fact, research for new materials and building processes took off much earlier, if not simultaneous with the design concepts. Let’s take a look at some of the building technology that will be used to establish these future Martian settlements. Joe Cianciotto

Image source: room.eu.com

Martian bricks

The study for this material is based on a NASA-formulated simulation of Martian soil. Researchers found that the soil’s components have minuscule amounts of iron oxide that could bind the soil when put under pressure to form a brick. Experiments are still continuing, however, but the results and information look promising already - leading to a possibility of manufacturing the same bricks on Mars. Joe Cianciotto

                                                                                    3D-Printing technology

Image source: imgix.net

Two possible materials are being explored for 3D-printing, one is Martian ice which are now being simulated here on Earth. The team for the Mars Ice House project have developed a way to convert subsurface Martian ice as a building material to be printed into structures along environments cold enough to turn them into solid ice. The other material is called regolith, a combination of loose rocks, soil, and dust on the red planet’s surface. Semi-autonomous robots will be tasked to build these structures before the first humans arrive. Joe Cianciotto

Environment simulation

There are two known initiatives planning to simulate the environment on Mars. First is the Swiss Martian Garden, which is constructed near Basel, by Swiss researchers, where they will test a CLUPI (Close-Up Imager) camera that will be sent to Mars to better understand the conditions on the red planet. The second initiative is being set up in a desert outside Dubai, UAE, which is called the Mars Science City project. The project’s aim is to establish a human colony on Mars within 100 years. Joe Cianciotto