Area exploration has lengthy been humanity’s quest to push boundaries, and Mars stands as its most promising frontier. With rovers like Perseverance uncovering indicators of historical water and potential life, and missions like NASA’s Artemis and SpaceX’s ambitions for crewed flights, Mars is nearer to changing into a second residence than ever earlier than.
The Purple Planet’s harsh local weather, skinny ambiance, and dirt storms pose challenges, however developments in expertise — from AI-driven robotics to sustainable life-support techniques — are paving the way in which for future colonization. As nations and personal firms race to land people on Mars, the dream of interplanetary existence is shifting from science fiction to actuality.
India, too, is making important strides on this quest. Researchers on the Indian Institute of Expertise (IIT) Madras are engaged on applied sciences that might assist maintain life on different planets.
The Extraterrestrial Manufacturing (ExTeM) group is main efforts to develop progressive options to deal with the challenges of house colonization. Whereas main house companies concentrate on transporting heavy payloads to Mars, ExTeM is devoted to making sure astronauts can thrive as soon as they arrive.
One in every of their groundbreaking tasks entails creating concrete with out utilizing water — an important growth given Mars’ scarce water assets.
“We used a compound blended with sulphur, which is ample on Mars, to develop a concrete that matches Earth requirements,” defined Adithya Plato Sidharth, a post-doctoral researcher with ExTeM.
The group has additionally constructed a Microgravity Drop Tower, the fourth-largest on the planet, to check materials properties in zero gravity. This facility permits researchers to develop steel foams, which could possibly be used to guard buildings on Mars from meteorite impacts.
Past building supplies, ExTeM’s analysis spans zero-gravity welding, 3D printing, bioprinting, and next-generation optical fibers. They’re even exploring biomanufacturing of important organs like hearts, doubtlessly revolutionizing house healthcare.
Professor Sathyan Subbiah, who leads the initiative, emphasised the broader impression of their work. “Our analysis goals to harness assets accessible in house to scale back reliance on Earth-based provide chains,” he stated.
