Spoiler alert: Apologies if this seems a bit “ghoulish” –(heck, Halloween is almost here!)
Back in the day…. actually way, way back– ancient buildings were held together with mud and animal blood. That gave some scientists an idea…. when the time comes to build structures on Mars….why not learn from the past? So, scientists at the University of Manchester have cooked up a new recipe for cost effective “cosmic concrete.” Theoretically, groups of astronauts in space could produce hundreds of pounds of the material each year, continually expanding a Martian habitat with every visit.
The new building material was developed by the scientists who drew inspiration from the ancient construction methods that involved mixing animal blood into mortar to act as the binding material.
“It is exciting that a major challenge of the space age may have found its solution based on inspirations from medieval technology,” says author of the new study, Dr Aled Roberts.
More recently, scientists have been busy exploring the question of how habitats might be constructed during future Mars or lunar missions. Loading spacecraft up with bricks or bags of cement would be prohibitively expensive, so this field of research involves investigating how these structures can be made from the materials that are already there, with the soils of the Moon and Mars a prime target.
The University of Manchester scientists have gotten creative in considering exactly what resources future explorers will have on hand. Working with simulated lunar and Martian soils, the team experimented with using human blood and waste products (yes you read that right!) as binding material and turned up some interesting results.
A common protein in human blood called serum albumin could be used as a binder to produce a concrete-like material with strength comparable to ordinary concrete. The team also found that urea, a waste product found in urine, sweat and tears, could be incorporated to increase the material’s strength by more than 300 percent. Imagine that! The key to strong cosmic concrete might be found in our blood, sweat and tears (and urine).
According to the team’s calculations, a crew of six astronauts on a two-year Mars mission could produce more than 500 kg (1,100 lb) of AstroCrete, as they’re calling the material. Would it smell? I guess it won’t matter as long as the helmets stay on. Any volunteers?
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