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| 'The Red Planet' (Photo by ESA) |
Turns out that Martian soil is quite the commodity. When mixed
with molten sulphur, it morphs into concrete. When highly compressed, it becomes even stronger.
It is the reddish iron oxide within this soil that makes for easy bonding under “sufficient force.” This
has so far worked well with smaller bricks.
It remains to be seen whether similar binding will occur during large- scale construction.
Elon Musk had originally thought that Mars colonists could live within carbon fiber and glass” domes. Perhaps these geodesic structures can instead be made from native Martian material.
Resources
https://www.engadget.com/2017/04/27/mars-like-soil-makes-super-strong-bricks-when-compressed/
Copyright May 2, 2017 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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