Abstract
Establishing permanent human infrastructure on Mars necessitates robust In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) strategies to bypass the extreme mass constraints of Earth-to-Mars transport. Among critical civil engineering assets, structural launch and landing pads are urgently required to prevent catastrophic plume-surface interactions and regolith ejecta during spacecraft descent and ascent. This study investigates the thermal sintering dynamics of Mars Global Simulant (MGS-1) under simulated Martian ambient atmospheric conditions (6.1 mbar CO2) to evaluate its viability for additive manufacturing of heavy-duty launch pads. MGS-1 samples were subjected to isothermal sintering regimes ranging from 1000°C to 1250°C with varying heating rates and dwell times. Thermomechanical characterization revealed that sintering at 1150°C for 120 minutes promotes optimal liquid-phase densification, yielding a maximum bulk density of 2.48 g/cm³ and an open porosity reduction below 9.5%. Uniaxial compressive strength reached 44.2 ± 3.1 MPa, exceeding the structural threshold required to support crewed lander loads. High-enthalpy thermal shock testing using supersonic gas jets at 1400 K demonstrated negligible mass loss (<0.35 wt%) and minimal surface spallation in samples sintered above 1125°C. Microstructural analysis via scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction confirmed the formation of a cohesive plagioclase-pyroxene glass-ceramic matrix. These findings demonstrate that thermal regolith sintering provides a mechanically robust, binderless pathway for automated launch pad construction on the Martian surface.
