Scientists make artificial Martian dirt, will sell it to you for $20

Scientists don’t expect to get their hands on Martian soil anytime soon, so they’re making their own.

Created by University of Central Florida astrophysicists, this red soil, called Mars “simulant,” is designed to give researchers a useful approximation of the actual, far-off extraterrestrial soil. This might be especially relevant for testing the growth of crops, or how exploration equipment might fare on the surface.

At $20 per kilogram (2.2 pounds), NASA’s Kennedy Space Center has already placed an order, according to the university.

Mars simulant in a bowl. IMAGE: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

“The simulant is useful for research as we look to go to Mars,” said Dan Britt, a researcher in the University of Central Florida’s Planetary Sciences Group, in a statement. “If we are going to go, we’ll need food, water and other essentials. As we are developing solutions, we need a way to test how these ideas will fare.”

The artificial Martian soil is modeled upon the iron-rich volcanic ground that blankets the red planet. The researchers published their results in the planetary science journal Icarus.

Like any world, Martian soil comes in all sorts of varieties — clays, sand, and salty dirt — and the lab plans to use standardized methods to produce consistent simulants, so those preparing for space exploration can run reliable experiments.