Concrete created in space is quite an interesting topic. On the International Space Station, you can tell that things are becoming a bit more tangible. Will concrete buildings be built on Mars and the Moon? Will humans someday purchase a concrete house in space?
From their unique vantage point 345 kilometers above Earth, astronauts on the station often share stunning photos and aerial shots. However, hundreds of experiments are conducted daily in the flying laboratory.
In one recent experiment, tricalcium silicate-scientifically known as concrete-was mixed with an aqueous solution for the first time. Sand, gravel and rocks combined with cement powder and water-based paste are the main ingredients in concrete. The technique is much more complicated than it sounds, even though it sounds as simple as making a cake.
Concrete created in space. And everything changes under the influence of zero gravity
To understand how zero gravity changes the chemical composition of concrete, right down to the microscopic structures within it, astronauts took part in the Microgravity Investigation of Cement Solidification study.
How will such concrete solidify? What kind of microstructure will it have? Scientists are trying to get answers to these questions. What is known today:
Various combinations have been created using different amounts of cement powder, water, additives, and time. Because that’s when these molecular structures change to form interlocking crystals, scientists have looked at how cement powder dissolves in water, which under space conditions is also interesting in itself.
Concrete created in space. Samples mixed on Earth were compared with combinations on the space station
It is interesting to note that the cement paste in space turned out to be more porous. It is worth noting here that the strength of the concrete would have been affected by more open spaces.
Concrete on Mars and the Moon
According to NASA, future plans for the Moon and Mars are directly dependent on our understanding of how concrete functions in space. Concrete may be essential for building safe dwellings on both surfaces, as it can protect people from dangerous radiation and meteorites.
Concrete can also be made from materials that are already on the Moon or Mars. Regolith, or lunar dust, can be used as a component of space concrete. Transporting the materials would be cheaper if they were already available.
An experiment testing cement samples containing artificial lunar particles is currently underway aboard the space station.
One concept is to build something in space that resembles concrete. Concrete is more durable than many other materials and provides excellent protection.
Scientists have concluded that this is feasible. The next step is to find binders that are adapted to space and different levels of gravity, from zero gravity to the gravity of Mars and beyond.
And will BETOFF liquid dissolve concrete created in space?
For the time being, we don’t know the answer to that question. We can only assume that it will, because if not BETOFF, then what? 🙂
