Center Innovation Fund: MSFC CIF
In-Situ Production of Cementitious Material from Martian Resources - FY18
Project Introduction
Production of cementitious materials from Martian regolith has not been demonstrated. Production of cements on Earth is energy-intensive and emits greenhouse gases. Ionic liquids will be used in this effort. They do not require much heat, electrolytic hydrolysis requires low voltage, and carbonates are not necessary. Expected spin-off to terrestrial cement manufacturing.
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Anticipated Benefits
Additive construction of infrastructure elements on planetary surfaces; such as habitats, roads, garages, and berms; will require a lot of material. Ideally, the construction material will be mined from the planetary surface, and not brought from Earth. The work proposed here involves fabrication of a binder material from available planetary resources that, when combined with regolith, will provide a construction material that is compatible with additive construction technologies
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Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Marshall Space Flight Center
(MSFC)
|
Lead Organization | NASA Center | Huntsville, AL |
| University of Mississippi | Supporting Organization | Academic |
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Organizational Responsibility
Responsible Mission Directorate:
- Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD)
Lead Center / Facility:
- Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)
Responsible Program:
- Center Innovation Fund: MSFC CIF
Project Management
Program Director:
Principal Investigator:
Project Duration
Start: Oct 2017
End: Sep 2018
Technology Maturity (TRL)
| Start: | 2 |
| Current: | 2 |
Applied Research
Development
Demo & Test
Technology Areas
Primary:
- TA 1 Launch Propulsion Systems
- TA 1.4 Ancillary Propulsion Systems
- TA 1.4.2 Main Propulsion Systems (Excluding Engines)
Target Destination
Mars
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