Research Information System
ADVANCES IN SPACE RESEARCH, vol.1, no.2, pp.1-19, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)
In recent years, there has been an increasing trend in research and discussions regarding the development of basic construction elements for a Mars settlement. Researchers have primarily focused on topics such as concrete production and habitable building construction technologies utilizing Martian in-situ resources. It is inevitable that research efforts and initial designs are carried out on Earth. Hence, the verification of the concrete production process and the determination of test standards should be conducted according to Mars conditions. Specifically, experimental studies for Mars construction technologies should simulate the original environmental conditions and atmospheric properties of the settlement location on Mars. In this study, the authors consider the construction difficulties in Mars conditions and suggest the design of in-situ concrete production and sample test procedures to obtain realistic and consistent results in Earth-based experimental works. To verify concrete production processes and construction materials, it is necessary to implement simulators that can emulate environmental conditions at Martian construction sites. The authors illustrate a case study for conceptual on-ground Mars building construction in the environmental conditions of the Jezero Crater, according to the MEDA dataset from the 2020 Perseverance Mars rover. The loads on a conceptual Mars building are estimated based on three Martian days’ records from the MEDA, and the results provide a snapshot of construction conditions in the Martian environment. In essence, this study presents a framework for the concrete production and testing stages of in-situ Mars construction research, and this framework can contribute to the improvement of consistency and reliability of Earth-based research efforts.