posted 04-27-2017 09:42 AM               

A group of engineers figured this out by using a high-pressure hammer to mash together material known as Mars soil simulant. It’s a collection of rocks from Earth that have the same chemical makeup as the dirt found on Mars, as well as grains that are of a similar shape and size as Martian grains. After working with the material for a while, the engineers found that just adding the right amount of pressure was enough to form the soil into tiny, stiff blocks — stronger than steel-reinforced concrete.