AstroCrete
AstroCrete (also called SpaceCrete, MoonCrete, LunarCrete, or MarsCrete) is a type of construction material produced on the moon or Mars. Derived from the regolith present on the lunar or Martian surface, it is the primary construction material used in offworld construction. It has a number of beneficial properties, such as being unaffected by temperatures ranging from +120 °C to -150 °C, absorbing gamma rays, and maintaining material integrity in a vacuum. The development of AstroCrete has revolutionized spaceborne construction, making the development of offworld colonies significantly cheaper.
AstroCrete was first developed from necessity - shipping construction materials from Earth to the moon or Mars was highly cost-inefficient. As such, various in situ resource utilization techniques were developed - early AstroCrete among them. By producing the resources necessary for lunar colonization offworld, costs were significantly reduced. These techniques were later applied to the Martian colonies.
AstroCrete is significantly different from Earthborne concrete. On Earth, concrete is created with three parts: aggregate, water, and cement. AstroCrete utilizes no water, instead using sulfur obtained from lunar or Martian dust. The aggregate supplied is regolith, and the overall structure is reinforced with silica (also obtained from dust). There exist alternate forms of AstroCrete, such as water-based and human serum albumin-based, which replace the sulfur component of AstroCrete with water or human byproducts.
However, AstroCrete is not without drawbacks. The sulfur variant of AstroCrete tends to melt at temperatures above 115.2 degrees celsius, so must be reinforced with other materials, which must be imported from Earth. This has continued to drive up the price of constructing lunar or Martian habitation. Due to this, the water variant of AstroCrete is most often used in regions that experience high temperatures or temperature fluctuations, while sulfur AstroCrete is primarily used on the dark side of the moon.
AstroCrete was first developed from necessity - shipping construction materials from Earth to the moon or Mars was highly cost-inefficient. As such, various in situ resource utilization techniques were developed - early AstroCrete among them. By producing the resources necessary for lunar colonization offworld, costs were significantly reduced. These techniques were later applied to the Martian colonies.
AstroCrete is significantly different from Earthborne concrete. On Earth, concrete is created with three parts: aggregate, water, and cement. AstroCrete utilizes no water, instead using sulfur obtained from lunar or Martian dust. The aggregate supplied is regolith, and the overall structure is reinforced with silica (also obtained from dust). There exist alternate forms of AstroCrete, such as water-based and human serum albumin-based, which replace the sulfur component of AstroCrete with water or human byproducts.
However, AstroCrete is not without drawbacks. The sulfur variant of AstroCrete tends to melt at temperatures above 115.2 degrees celsius, so must be reinforced with other materials, which must be imported from Earth. This has continued to drive up the price of constructing lunar or Martian habitation. Due to this, the water variant of AstroCrete is most often used in regions that experience high temperatures or temperature fluctuations, while sulfur AstroCrete is primarily used on the dark side of the moon.
Type
Composite
Color
Grey (Luna)
Brown or red (Mars)
Brown or red (Mars)
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