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The blocks, built with carbon nanotubes, have a relatively low density but display strength approaching that of granite and could create extra terrestrial structures.
Does this imply carbon nanotubes occur naturally on Mars? Not sure what to understand from this article...
Carbon nanotubes in general (to my admittedly non-physicist knowledge) are synthesized, but creating/storing/transporting them is much more efficient than transporting full building materials.
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creating/storing/transporting them is much more efficient than transporting full building materials.
Right, it's really small and low density. Maybe it could be synthesized on Mars since there's lots of carbon dioxide.
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One approach I would imagine then would be to first transform the CO$_2$ into CO or methane CH$_4$ before using CVD to form carbon nanotubes...
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Looks like they will be making methane on Mars anyway before building anything permanent.
Methane was chosen for the Raptor engines because it is relatively inexpensive, produces a low amount of soot as compared to other hydrocarbons,[28] and can be created on Mars from carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and hydrogen via the Sabatier reaction.[29]
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methane
That was my thought too, after reading about the manufacturing process.
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The atmosphere in mars could create unique materials, sort of like how when you put clay in the oven it hardens.
But people also say the moon is rich in Helium3 because of its atmosphere or lack there of,
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