Development of In Situ Novel Explosives from Martian Regolith Perchlorates for Excavation and Construction

The lack of blasting capabilities forms a critical gap in economic resource acquisition and excavation architectures on Mars. This study explores the viability of in situ explosives which utilize the native perchlorate salts, namely magnesium perchlorate and calcium perchlorate, found within Martian regolith as energetic oxidizers. Thermochemical calculations were performed to identify two- and three-component mixtures that achieve similar or greater rock breaking capacity when compared to terrestrial mining explosives. A small-scale explosive screening technique was applied to evaluate the shock sensitivity and critical diameter of the selected explosive mixtures. Experimental findings indicate that simple mixtures of the perchlorates with diesel would behave as highly insensitive explosives. Fuel additives of elemental sulfur or aluminum dramatically sensitize the perchlorate-diesel mixture, which is a crucial capability for ensuring charge detonation. These results indicate that safe explosive handling and employment procedures for blasting on Mars could follow those carried out on Earth, opening the possibility of repurposing waste perchlorates in Martian soils for the in situ manufacture of blasting explosives.