On Mars, 3D-printed rocket parts may be produced using Martian soil.

Artist’s impression of an astronaut on Mars. Image Credit: Dotted Yeti/Shutterstock.com

A goal of space exploration is in-situ resource utilization, bringing very little from Earth and using what you might find on the moon, planet, or asteroid that you are visiting. Plenty of researchers are trying to work out how to craft materials on Mars and a new study has found a way to create a titanium alloy that employs martian regolith, the soil of the Red Planet.