Researchers from the University of Sussex have taken an important step towards the sustainable colonization of Mars using the Red Planet's resources. Led by Professor Conor Boland, their team used technologies similar to those used on the International Space Station and NASA to transform materials previously considered waste into nanomaterials.
The experiment involved using gypsum nanomaterials, thousands of times smaller than a human hair, to create clean energy and building materials on Mars. The research, published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, reveals how the use of low-energy processes and water-based chemistry can determine the electrical properties of these nanomaterials.
Professor Boland observes: "Nanomaterials can find applications from the production of clean hydrogen fuel to the creation of electronics and increasing the strength of textiles."
Using an innovative method of extracting water from Martian gypsum, the researchers also produced nanobelts from a byproduct, anhydrite, which was previously considered waste.
This advanced approach, if successfully applied to Mars, could provide natural materials for sustainable technology and construction. According to Professor Boland, this could be a key condition for a future colony, ensuring its sustainability from the very beginning. It is worth noting that recent studies have discovered anomalies on Mars, confirming the possibility of life on this planet.
