Of the many things that we should consider as we plan on colonizing other planets and our own Moon, our basic needs — namely, food, water, shelter, and clothing — should be the first thing that we think about. Since the environments on the other planets vary from the environment that we have on Earth, how we meet these needs will surely be different from how we normally do it. This is why,...
For quite a while now, scientists have been developing technologies that explore both the moon and mars. From 3D-printed mars habitats to lunar toilets, news regarding space travel advancements have flooded our streams, having specialist[s] trying to figure out if our species would be able to live and survive in another planet or on our own satellite.
One of the basic needs that we have to meet is shelter. Or rather, the materials that we need to build one.
Concrete is not an option as it requires large amounts of water not found on these places.
Fortunately, there could be an alternative to that material, according to this study published by Javier Fernandez, a scientist at Singapore University of Technology and Design. In this study, he states that “a simple manufacturing technology based on chitin, one of the most ubiquitous organic polymers on earth, could be used to build tools and shelters on Mars.”
Learn more about this over at DesignBoom.
What are your thoughts about this one?
(Image Credit: Zituba/ Wikimedia Commons)