ExTeM researchers working on long-term human settlement in Mars and Moon

What about having concrete construction without water, that too in space? Not just that, if research by researchers at Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) turns successful, a series of technological innovations will help the country replicate the success of “Make in India” in outer space too. These innovations will then play a pivotal role in not just shaping India’s space future of long-term human presence in space, but also in expanding commercial opportunities in the final frontier.

 

This research will not only benefit space travel through “Making in Space for Space” but also help people back on Earth “Making in Space for Earth”. Working towards developing technologies for future human settlement on the Moon and Mars, “ExTeM” (Extraterrestrial Manufacturing) researchers are coming up with innovative processes to tackle the challenges of constructing infrastructure, developing 3D printing tools, and extracting materials crucial for sustainable space exploration, at their IIT Madras Centre.

 

The Centre got public attention when Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about ExTeM in his “Mann Ki Baat” address on January 19 this year. This research facility operates a Microgravity Drop Tower, which is the fourth-largest operational drop tower in the world. It was installed in 2017 on the IIT Madras campus due to efforts made by the Department of Aerospace Engineering, to carry out experiments under microgravity conditions, or artificial zero gravity conditions like those in outer space.

 

“The Centre is conducting research on technologies like 3D-printed buildings, metal foams, and optical fibers in space. This Centre is also developing revolutionary methods like concrete construction without water... Today, our country is setting new benchmarks in space technology,” Modi said.

 

According to V Kamakoti, director, IIT Madras, semiconductor crystals grown in space may have less defects, thereby making them suitable for next-generation chips used in quantum computing. The same principle applies to advanced optical fibers and bioprinting for human implants like artificial hearts. On Earth, printing minute capillaries for the heart is challenging due to self-weight, which can collapse. However, in microgravity, where gravity's effects are eliminated, printing becomes significantly more achievable.

 

“Today, we are looking at space stations which are becoming important for reasons like exploratory studies, climatic modelling, and enviro-studies, among other areas. A lot of people are looking at settlements in space. One such exploratory is to have human settlements on the Moon and even Mars. One of the important aspects of “Making in Space for Space” is building technologies for human settlements," Modi said.

 

By harnessing resources available in outer space, such as lunar regolith and Martian soil, ExTeM aims to reduce reliance on Earth-based supply chains, significantly lowering costs and payload requirements.

 

“Making in Space for Space” involves advanced techniques like 3D printing of components and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), or resources in outer space, to produce essential components, including lunar habitats and spacecraft parts.

 

Researchers at ExTeM, which was established in 2021 under the Institute of Eminence (IoE) scheme at IIT Madras, are advancing technologies for manufacturing activities in space. The objective is to advance India's Space 2.0 initiatives and broaden access to space for diverse industries, including resource extraction, infrastructure development, and pharmaceutical research.

 

ExTeM also investigates the distinctive benefits of microgravity environments, which allow the production of superior materials, such as crystal-free optical fibers with advanced properties, and higher-quality diamonds, all of which have potential applications on Earth. This falls under the category of “Making in Space for Earth”. In addition to materials, the behaviour of beneficial microbes in microgravity is also being studied.

 

Sathyan Subbiah, coordinator of ExTeM, said: “The manufacturing technologies needed for space will differ substantially from the Earth-based ones due to constraints posed by limited space, limited power, microgravity influence, and limitations to track process inputs and outputs, and to recycle byproducts effectively.”

 

Subbiah, also a Faculty in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, said: “The Centre is addressing both fundamental studies and technology developments. Microgravity influence in several physical phenomena will be studied, and the knowhow will influence the process technologies developed. To this end, a battery of microgravity tests is planned in platforms ranging from drop towers to parabolic flights and possibly extending to sub-orbital flights.”

 

What ExTeM team is doing?

 

The ExTeM group at IIT Madras is spearheaded by a team of distinguished professors, research staff, and students, who bring expertise across diverse disciplines, driving innovation in extraterrestrial manufacturing. Piyush Chaunsali, associate professor, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras, has pioneered a technique to create waterless concrete using Martian soil, paving the way for infrastructure development on the Martian surface. G K Suraishkumar of the Department of Biotechnology along with his PhD student S Rahul is exploring the effects of microgravity on biological systems.

 

They are employing stress-based strategies to enhance microbial growth and productivity for the production of essential bioproducts in space. Sankaran Shanmugam, a professor in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, and Neelabh Menaria, a master’s student, are studying the behaviour of metal foams in microgravity. These lightweight materials hold the potential to protect structures from impacts.

 

Yashdeep, a PhD student under the guidance of Subbiah, is preparing for parabolic flight experiments this year to investigate the effects of microgravity on an advanced optical fiber known as ZBLAN.

 

Dr Arunachalam N, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, is conducting research on optics fabrication in space. Dr M S Ramachandra Rao, a professor in the Department of Physics, is applying his expertise to growing better crystals in space using microgravity.

 

Dr Murugaiyan Amirthalingam, an associate professor in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, brings in his expertise in joining and additive techniques, heading innovation related to material processing and repair in the microgravity environment.

 

Adhithya Plato Sidharth, a postdoctoral researcher, along with research associates Venkateshwaran Munian and Niketh Poolakkal, has tested welding in a microgravity environment by using the 2.5s drop tower at IIT Madras. Nithya Srimurugan SK, a PhD student, is exploring efficient methods to convert this regolith (lunar soil) into metals and ceramics.