Researchers at the University of Sussex have taken an important step towards the steady colonization of Mars using the Red Planet's resources. Under the guidance of Professor Konora Boland, their team used technologies similar to those used at the International Space Station and NASA, to transform materials previously considered waste, into nanomaterials.
The experiment included the use of gypsum nanomaterials, thousands of times smaller than human hair, in order to create environmentally friendly energy and building materials on Mars. Published in Advanced Functional Materials, scientific research reveals how the use of low -energy processes and water -based chemistry allows you to determine the electrical properties of these nanomaterials.
Professor Baland notes: "Nanomaterials can find the use from the production of pure hydrogen fuel to the creation of electronics and increased textile strength."
With the use of the innovative method of extraction of water from Martian gypsum, researchers also made nanopods from a by -product - anhydrite, which was previously considered waste.
This best approach, if successfully applied on Mars, can supply natural materials for sustainable technologies and construction. According to Professor Boland, it can be a key condition for the future colony, ensuring its stability from the beginning. It is worth noting that recent studies have found anomalies on Mars, confirming the possibility of life on this planet.
