How to Make Tools on Mars, Using Dust

Scientific American -------- Dust and rock particles that mimic regolith on the surfaces of the Moon and Mars have been turned into 3D printer inks, offering a glimpse into how humans might one day use local materials in situ to construct and maintain extraterrestrial outposts. 3D printing approaches have already been demonstrated to make objects from simulated lunar and Martian regolith. However, these are not well suited for use in extreme, resource-starved, low-gravity environments due to processing limitations and high energy requirements. What’s more, although useful, the resulting objects have always been hard and inflexible. Now Adam Jakus and colleagues in Ramille Shah’s lab at Northwestern University, US, have developed a system that prints soft, rubber-like objects—including cylinders, spanners and stackable LEGO-shaped blocks—using simulated Mars and Moon dust inks for the first time. Sintering can then harden the materials, giving the option of both soft and hard structures. ‘The simplicity of the printing system […] and the potential for in situ resource utilisation makes this desirable for extraterrestrial exploration,’ says Jakus. To learn more click on the picture below to read the article.