Creation and characterization of regolith-based functional blocks with simulated in situ martian materials

Abstract

Efficient in situ resource utilization is a critical component of NASA's current and future Mars exploration missions. In this work, simulated in situ Martian materials were utilized to synchronize novel regolith-based composite materials for the creation of functional building blocks. More specifically, a Martian soil simulant and a thermoset polymeric material were used to manufacture composite building blocks as a potential structural component for Martian infrastructure. Curing technologies were explored to design simplified mass production techniques. The created composites were then tested for their mechanical (e.g. strength and modulus) properties to determine the feasibility of them being used as building blocks as well as the optimal compositions for desired engineering properties. The obtained results data were used to guide the development of mechanics-based numerical models for predicting mechanical properties and behavior of newly manufactured materials. As the complex temperature variation on Mars, the thermal properties of newly manufactured materials are also of interest and will be reported in a future paper. © 2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.