ISS researchers mix together simulated lunar soil, cement, and water to determine microgravity effects.

As NASA eyes the Moon for future habitation, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station is already busy mixing the cement, unraveling the mysteries of its hardening process in microgravity. This critical step could determine how we build resilient structures on the Moon and Mars, inching us closer to a permanent human outpost beyond Earth.

Building a permanent human base in space is closer to reality than ever, as NASA's Artemis program explores constructing lunar habitats. However, transporting materials from Earth presents a costly challenge.

To address this, astronauts aboard the ISS are mixing cement in microgravity to study its hardening process, which could unlock the potential for using lunar soil in construction and bring us one step closer to establishing resilient structures – and possibly life – beyond Earth.

Concrete mixing, however, is an energy-intensive process that releases carbon dioxide, potentially causing brittleness and air bubbles in the material. Understanding how these factors change in space is critical for ensuring the durability of structures built off-world.

Part of NASA's Material Science on the Solidification of Concrete Hardening Investigation, this experiment is fairly straightforward: mix lunar soil simulant with a liquid cement solution and water, then wait to see what happens as it cures in microgravity. The mixture is contained in specially designed bags, with two cement bags sandwiching a hot water bag to aid in the incubation process.

Obviously, the logistics and accessibility of such an experiment are literally out-of-this-world, but this unique environment should provide insight into the material's behavior in space – specifically, how factors like air bubbles and crystal growth may differ from Earth.

Through classic scientific ingenuity, the astronauts are employing the advanced Freezer/Refrigerator/Incubator Device for Galley and Experimentation – otherwise known as FRIDGE – to conduct this research.

Primarily used to preserve provisions, turns out, it's also great for curing space cement.

After the cement is mixed, it's placed in the FRIDGE to incubate overnight, after which it will settle at ambient temperatures for several weeks before returning to Earth for analysis aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule.

Continuing to push the boundaries of space exploration, NASA's experiments aboard the ISS bring humanity one step closer to building sustainable habitats on the Moon and Mars. By verifying the viability of using lunar soil and other locally sourced materials, humanity moves closer to creating permanent homes on other worlds-a critical milestone in the journey to explore the cosmos.