Called StarCrete, the material has a strength of 72 Megapascals (MPa), while that of ordinary concrete stands at 32 MPa.
Over 50 years after the first human set foot on the Moon, humanity is preparing to take the next big steps in space exploration. The Moon, and eventually Mars, will be the first destinations forScientists have been testing various materials for the construction of such habitats on Mars. An innovation in this field comes from scientists at the University of Manchester.
The study notes that StarCrete has a strength of 72 Megapascals , while ordinary concrete has a strength of 32 MPa. When tested with moondust, StarCrete outperformed all others at 91 MPa. As per calculations, a 55-pound sack of potatoes contains enough starch to produce nearly half a tonne of StarCrete — 213 bricks. They also found that common salt and astronaut tears could further help to improve the strength of this material.
Previously, the team tested human blood and urine as a binding agent; however, this is impractical for large-scale work, and astronaut health could be jeopardized in a harsh space environment."Since we will be producing starch as food for astronauts, it made sense to look at that as a binding agent rather than human blood.
Furthermore, StarCrete could be a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional concrete used on Earth. Cement and concrete production account for about eight percent of global CO2 emissions. Following the completion of this study, the team will continue to experiment with enhancing the strength of StarCrete for future use.Robust and affordable technology capabilities are needed before a sustained human presence on the lunar and Martian surfaces can be established.
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