Scientists have developed an innovative way to produce building materials on the Moon. Now lunar soil and a laser are enough to create durable parts. This technology could be the key to building the first lunar bases.
Construction on the Moon is one of the main tasks of future missions. Protection from radiation and meteorites requires durable structures, but delivering materials with Earth too expensive. The solution is to use local resources such as lunar regolith.
Early methods required additives such as water or plasticizers, which made the process more difficult. The new approach makes it possible to use only soil and laser.
The technology is based on laser sintering:
- A thin layer of regolith is applied to the platform.
- The laser beam binds the particles together, forming a solid layer.
- The process is repeated until the finished block is obtained.
In tests, they created 1 cm cubes and parts of complex shapes that can be connected like a construction set.
Advantages of the method:
- Energy efficient: the unit consumes only 120 watts.
- Minimal equipment: no additional materials needed.
- Flexibility: parts can be produced in different shapes.
The problems of block surface roughness and different strengths when loaded from above and from the side still remain unresolved.
Scientists believe that the technology can be scaled up to build protective domes and other structures. This is an important step towards creating permanent lunar stations.
The material was prepared with the support of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science as part of the Decade of Science and Technology
Source: naked-science.ru
Photo: Lunar Shelter Concept / © NASA/Advanced Concepts Laboratory
