I took a look at the data presented in Table 1 of NineSigma’s proposal information, and compared the Moon and Martian materials to Earth values. There are a few first thoughts:
1. As it might be expected, just a straight comparison like this shows that the lunar material composition holds the greatest parity with Earth. While not a part of this study, it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that there is a sizeable number of lunar geologists that theorize that the Moon is a chunk of material that was once part of Earth.
2. Silicon Dioxide is by far the primary compound at all three locations.
3. Despite similarities with terrestrial soils, lunar samplings show a distinct lack of Sulfate and Chlorine.
The points above generate some paths to follow:
1. What terrestrial structural materials can be most easily replicated, and which correlate better with the Moon vs. Mars?
2. Is there a particular structural material and/or process that significantly involves Silicon Dioxide or related compounds?
3. What limitations does the poverty of lunar Sulfate and Chlorine enforce?
So, I’ll now look at those questions.