As the world increasingly looks to the Moon as the next big thing in space exploration, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) is already working to make an ambitious dream come true: building a lunar base.
There NASA revealed that the astronaut and flight engineer Matthew Dominik has begun mixing concrete in space, studying how microgravity affects this process. His work is not just a laboratory exercise, but a crucial step towards building a future lunar base using the soil of the Moon.
Space Concrete: A Pioneering Experiment
Inside the ISS, Dominick mixed a simulated version of lunar soil with other, still secret, materials and a liquid cement solution. This mixture was then placed in a device called FRIGE (Freezer/Refrigerator/Incubator Device for Galley and Experimentation), an advanced experimental refrigerator on the space station. Here, the concrete will be incubated overnight and then left to rest for several weeks at room temperature. Once the experiment is complete, the mixtures will be brought back to Earth aboard a capsule SpaceX Dragon for an in-depth analysis.
Mixing concrete in space is a complex undertaking. The process requires a lot of energy and can release carbon dioxide, which, if not managed properly, makes the concrete brittle and full of air bubbles. With this experiment, scientists hope to understand how microgravity can affect the process and improve construction techniques in space.
Moon Base: NASA’s goal
The dream of the NASA is not just to send pre-built materials into space, but to allow astronauts to build directly on site. This would reduce costs and would open up new possibilities for human exploration and settlement in space.
While this is not the first time that cement has been mixed in space, the inclusion of lunar soil in this experiment represents a significant advance. It could bring us one step closer to realizing a lunar basea place that could become a true “home away from home” for astronauts, hundreds of thousands of kilometers from Earth.
These experiments are essential for the future of space exploration and for the possibility of establishing a permanent human presence on the Moon. If you are fascinated by these new technologies and the future of lunar base, follow us on social media to stay up to date on all the progress, Leave a comment with your opinions, and Share the article with other space enthusiasts. The dream of living on the Moon has never been so close!
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