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Space

Martian soil could be turned into fibres as strong as steel

A mimic of Martian soil can be turned into strong fibres. Such a material could be used to help build a base or grow plants on the Red Planet

By Chen Ly

23 February 2024

Mar inside the Jezero Crater

We might be able to use the dust on the Red Planet to make building materials

NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

The soil on Mars could be melted down, spun into fibres as strong as steel and used to make durable building materials for a potential Martian base.

Instead of sending vast amounts of resources to the Red Planet to build a colony there, which would be exceptionally costly, researchers are exploring the idea of constructing materials using what would be available on site.

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