What primary raw material, composed of dust and broken rock, is used for establishing permanent habitats and infrastructure on Mars?
Answer
The regolith
The regolith, defined as the loose surface layer of dust and fragmented rock covering the Martian bedrock, serves as the fundamental source of building materials for constructing permanent settlements. This material can be processed, either by sintering it (heating and fusing without melting) or mixing it with locally sourced binders, allowing robotic systems to create pressurized domes and essential infrastructure components even before large numbers of humans arrive. Furthermore, the iron oxides within the regolith provide accessible iron for structural metal manufacturing.
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