Viability of Construction Material within an Extraterrestrial Environment
Publication: Earth and Space 2022
ABSTRACT
Civil and military interest in space-based operations has increased dramatically in recent years due to advancements in space travel and discoveries, like water on Mars. Discussions have centered on the establishment of permanent infrastructure in extraterrestrial environments. Selecting appropriate construction materials and techniques requires that extraterrestrial civil engineers and understand candidate materials to determine their dynamic life-cycle costs. Robust and detailed systematic reviews have previously been completed on the research in this field however, these analyses do not provide intercomparisons of proposed materials or are not within the last decade. The rapid rate of new research in this area demands systematic reviews be performed at short intervals. To address these issues, this work produces a systematized review of literature that covers four construction materials: aluminum, biopolymer soil composite (BSC), sulfur concrete, and regolith. Here, several factors unique to space-based operations, including radiation resistance, high-impact strike resistance, thermal insulation/vulnerability, recyclability, material life cycle cost, and constructability are evaluated through a literature review to compare the feasibility of each material. The results of this analysis intend to inform both researchers and practitioners as they consider the vast distances materials must be transported, and the harsh and uncertain environmental conditions to which materials will be exposed.
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Earth and Space 2022
Pages: 602 - 615
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Published online: Jan 5, 2023
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