Unique cement invented to build houses on Mars

Made from the tears of astronauts, potato chips from the soil of Mars, this substance is twice as durable as ordinary cement.

Scientists have invented a new type of 'cosmic concrete' made of soil from outside the earth, which they say can be used to prepare human habitats on the moon and Mars.

The material, dubbed 'StarCrete', is twice as durable as ordinary concrete and will not require expensive construction materials to be carried into space from earth.

The team behind the discovery at the University of Manchester had previously developed a solid material that used astronauts' blood and urine as a binding agent for Martian soil, but it was widely considered impractical for use in projects.

Instead of blood or urine, starcrete uses potato starch and a pinch of salt to add artificial soil to Mars. Both of these objects are commonly found on space missions.

Dr. Eld Roberts, research fellow at the Future Biomanufacturing Research Hub and lead researcher of the project, said, "Since we will be producing starch as a food for astronauts, it is understandable to see it as a binding agent unlike human blood. In addition, existing building technologies still need to be developed for many years and require considerable energy and additional heavy processing equipment that can increase the cost and complexity of any space mission.

"Starcrate doesn't need any of these things and that's why it makes the mission easier, cheaper, and more feasible. And in any case, astronauts may not want to live in homes made of blood puppetry and urine.

Scientists estimate that a 25-kilogram sack of potatoes will contain enough starch to produce about half a ton of star crate, which is equivalent to about 213 bricks.

The salt needed to strengthen this material can also be obtained from astronaut tears or minerals found on the surface of Mars.

The team has set up a startup called 'Deacon Bio' to improve and continue testing the starcreate, which they claim has the potential to be used for buildings on the ground as an alternative to ordinary concrete, which is also more environmentally sustainable.

This research has been published in the scientific journal 'Open Engineering' under the title StarCrete: a starch-based biocomposite for off-world construction.