Concrete made of planet dust could be secret to life on Mars

WHEN it came to finding building materials for Mars, it really has been a mission of blood, sweat and tears.

Cosmic concrete made from Martian dust has been created by British researchers who are hoping it will be used to build homes on the Red Planet.

The material – dubbed “Starcrete” – is a mix of planetary dust found on the surface, potato starch and a pinch of salt that could come from the tears of astronauts. In an article in the journal Open Engineering, the team demonstrated that starch from dehydrated potatoes, such as crisps, can act as a binder when mixed with simulated Mars dust to produce a concrete-like material.

The team had considered using the blood and urine of astronauts as a binding agent but realised it could cause issues. “Astronauts probably don’t want to be living in houses made from scabs and urine,” said Dr Aled Roberts, from the Future Biomanufacturing Research Hub, and the project’s lead researcher.

Nasa aims to launch humans to Mars in the 2030s, while Elon Musk has said a crewed mission to the Red Planet could happen as early as 2029.