Photo by David Baillot, materials processed by Brian J. Chow and Yu Qiao

Elon Musk’s vision of Mars colonization has us living under geodesic domes made of carbon fiber and glass. But, according to a study recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, those domes may end up being made of brick, pressed from the Martian soil itself.

A team of NASA-funded researchers from UC San Diego, and led by structural engineer Yu Qiao, made the surprising discovery using simulated Martian soil — that’s dirt from Earth which has nearly the same physical and chemical properties. They found that by compressing the simulant under high pressure, it readily created blocks stronger than steel-reinforced concrete.

This isn’t the first time that researchers have attempted to create building materials from native resources on alien worlds. Last year, a team from Northwestern University figured out that you could create concrete by mixing Martian soil with molten sulphur. Qi’s own team had previously sought to make bricks from lunar soil material, managing to reduce the amount of binder needed from 15 percent of the final weight to just 3 percent, before turning their attention to the red stuff.

Tools and building blocks made by 3D printing with lunar and Martian dust. McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University

One of the many challenges of colonizing Mars is that the planet is lacking many of the natural resources we rely on here on Earth. We’ll need to bring as much of what we need to survive as possible, but you can only pack so much into a spaceship. So scientists are developing ways to utilize at least one of the red planet’s most abundant resources: dust.

We’ve had a hard time coming up with reasons as to why everyone needs a 3D printer here on Earth, but on Mars the machines could be used to manufacture tools, spare parts, even entire structures, habitats, and vehicles, given there’s no hardware stores for astronauts to visit if we eventually send humans on the 34 million mile journey. But 3D printers don’t make things out of thin air.

You’ve probably seen an affordable consumer-friendly 3D printer at work, melting and extruding thin lengths of plastic to build up a model. There’s no plastic on Mars, however, and packing miles of filament on a ship takes up valuable space that could be better used for transporting oxygen, water, and other essentials. So scientists at Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering have developed a way to turn extraterrestrial materials, like Lunar and Martian dust, into a 3D printing material.

Lauren Lee, 12, a seventh-grader at Kennedy Middle School in Cupertino, shows off her 3-D printed drug-delivery device that will allow the user to inject any medically needed drug without assistance. Lauren was a winner in the “Mars Medical Challenge” sponsored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Foundation and with support from NASA. (Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer)

Two young Cupertino residents have been recognized for truly out-of-this world science projects.

Lauren Lee, 12, has been selected as a junior division winner of the “Mars Medical Challenge” sponsored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Foundation with technical support from NASA. Ansel Austin, 14, was selected as one of four finalists in the challenge’s teen division.

The challenge tasked youngsters nationwide with creating a digital model of a medical or dental device that is entirely 3-D printable and can be used by astronauts on a three-year round trip to Mars.

Lauren, a seventh-grader at Kennedy Middle School, created a drug delivery device, with inspiration from a family member.

Ansel, a freshman at Valley Christian, created the wearable “Flex Brace,” to protect astronauts’ bones.