Cement experiment included in latest ISS resupply mission
Published by Jonathan Rowland,
Editor
World Cement,
An experiment to test how cement sets in microgravity conditions is one of 34 to be included in the latest resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The resupply mission launched in the early hours of the morning from NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on 21 May aboard Orbital ATK’s Cygnus spacecraft.
According to AFP, the test aims to explore how cement acts in space and whether it will harden as it does on earth – key knowledge ahead of any attempt to set up habitats in low-gravity environments.
The Microgravity Investigation of Cement Solidification (MICS) project aims to “explore the complex process of cement solidification, specifically to help better describe the hydration reaction and microstructure formations in a cement paste solidified in a microgravity environment,” according to the NASA website.
In on-orbit portion of MICS will comprise the hydrating of dry cement powders that vary by type of cement, type of additives, number of additives, and amount of water. Video of the mixing process will be recorded and all samples will be returned to Earth to test and analyses.
Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/21052018/cement-experiment-included-in-latest-iss-resupply/
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