In a major breakthrough for space exploration, Chinese scientists have managed to develop a groundbreaking 3D printing system that could allow them to create habitats on the moon using nothing other than on-site sourced lunar soil.
Specifically, the team of scientists at the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory in Hefei, Anhui province, has made the first-ever lunar regolith 3D printer, effectively taking out of the equation the need for Earth-sourced construction materials, according to a report by China Daily on July 2.
Creating 3D-printed moon buildings
As Yan Honglun, a senior engineer at the lab, explained, the system relies on a high-precision reflective concentrator and flexible fiber-optic energy transmission to create high enough temperatures to fuse lunar regolith (the layer of loose, dust-like material covering the solid bedrock on planets and moons). In his words:
“This printing breakthrough has validated the feasibility of using lunar soil as the sole raw building material, enabling true in-situ resource utilization and eliminating the need to transport any additional materials from Earth.”
Other major innovations deployed in this lunar habitat 3D printing system involve flexible manufacturing of bricks and customized molding of complex structures. The team has already successfully performed a preliminary test of the prototype’s lunar regolith forming process on the ground surface.
Meanwhile, the experts who participated in the creation of this breakthrough are now looking to develop the world’s first Mars sample research facility for which they’re hoping will happen in collaboration with scientists around the globe.
Elsewhere, the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been testing a moon exploration vehicle called ‘Luna Cruiser’ built by Toyota and two Japanese astronauts will participate in the space exploration adventure beginning in 2027.
Previously, NASA has also managed to acquire and track GPS navigation signals on the moon, in cooperation with the Italian Space Agency (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana / ASI), making it the first technology demonstration to acquire and track Earth-based navigation signals on the moon’s surface.
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