Moon + Pee = Concrete

Ya learn something new EVERY DAY!

The European Space Agency is reporting that human urine could help make concrete on the moon.

Urea, which is the main organic ingredient found in urine, would help make concrete more malleable before it hardens. Using Urea on the moon would eliminate the need to get materials for use on the moon from Earth.

Lunar regolith would be the main ingredient in “lunar concrete,” the regolith is a powdery substance found on the surface of the moon. “Thanks to future lunar inhabitants, the 1.5 liters (3.2 pints) of liquid waste a person generates each day could become a promising by-product for space exploration,” the ESA said in a statement.

Urea is used on Earth in fertilizer and raw material by chemical and medical companies. “The hope is that astronaut urine could be essentially used as it is on a future lunar base, with minor adjustments to the water content,” says the ESA. The use is deemed practical and won’t complicate water recycling in space.