– NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick has begun an experiment on the International Space Station to study how microgravity affects cement mixing.
– He mixed together a simulated version of lunar soil, other unnamed materials, and a liquid cement solution inside sealed bags. This was done to test building methods for a future Moon base.
– Dominick placed the mixture bags in the ISS’s refrigerator/freezer device overnight to incubate, and they will settle at ambient temperatures for further weeks before returning to Earth for analysis.
– The goal is to better understand how microgravity impacts the cement mixing process and concrete solidification. On Earth, improper mixing can cause concrete to be brittle or filled with air bubbles.
– This advances NASA’s plans to have future Moon bases constructed by astronauts assembling pre-made parts, rather than transporting fully built structures. The inclusion of lunar soil in this experiment brings crews closer to building shelters directly on the Moon.
Source: Futurism
