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→Teams
==Teams==
==Teams==
[[File:Bricks Payload.png|thumb|The bricks payload is operated via a Raspberry Pi to control the injection of water into the soil composite mixture to create a solid building material.]]
'''MARS BRICKS'''
'''MARS BRICKS'''
The bricks subteam experiments with methods of turning Martian and lunar soil into building materials for habitats and other structures. The team works with [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0950061821024855 biopolymer-bound soil composite (BSC)], which is made of soil, protein binder, and water. BSC has similar compressive strength as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_cement Portland cement concrete], the world’s most common construction material. While concrete production accounts for about 8% of global CO2 emissions, BSC provides a possible carbon-neutral alternative and is also easy to produce from Martian resources. The team created a payload to autonomously create these Martian bricks in 0g, 1g, and 2g. After winning a NASA contract, our payload was sent to the [https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html International Space Station] to test it's formation in 0g. You can learn more [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YAVmKYJ_OveaZ8SErLf6SCCOloECbddL/view?usp=sharing here.]
The bricks subteam experiments with methods of turning Martian and lunar soil into building materials for habitats and other structures. The team works with [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0950061821024855 biopolymer-bound soil composite (BSC)], which is made of soil, protein binder, and water. BSC has similar compressive strength as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_cement Portland cement concrete], the world’s most common construction material. While concrete production accounts for about 8% of global CO2 emissions, BSC provides a possible carbon-neutral alternative and is also easy to produce from Martian resources. The team created a payload to autonomously create these Martian bricks in 0g (aboard the ISS), 1g (resting on Earth), and 2g (continuously spinning in a centrifuge). After winning a NASA contract, our payload was sent to the [https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html International Space Station] to test it's formation in 0g. You can learn more [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YAVmKYJ_OveaZ8SErLf6SCCOloECbddL/view?usp=sharing here.]
The team's most recent newsletter as of May 31st, 2023, can be found [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1skGbPGsTtTYo_auUtEarNrJxH0tcDeoltGQybplwCXk/edit?pli=1 here.]
The team's most recent newsletter as of May 31st, 2023, can be found [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1skGbPGsTtTYo_auUtEarNrJxH0tcDeoltGQybplwCXk/edit?pli=1 here.]
[[File:Polar Rover Prototype at First Testing Retreat.png|left|thumb|This early-stage prototype rover's ArduPilot GPS compatibility was tested at the March 2023 team retreat in Portola Valley. ]]