It is hard to imagine that the construction materials for a planned lunar base would first have to be transported to the Earth’s satellite at great expense. After all, every kilo counts when launching from the Earth’s surface.
The problem is lunar regolith, a colourful mixture of various metal oxides that is only available in fine powder form. To test how this material can be used, ESA researchers have ground up a 4.5 billion-year-old meteorite into comparable dust.
With the help of an additional composite material and a 3D printer, building blocks were formed from it that follow the model of the well-known LEGO brick, but made of meteorite dust and not plastic.
The greatest advantage of small bricks has also been adopted. They can fit together like their terrestrial counterparts. This allows for quick and hassle-free construction to explore the possibilities of the material.
After all, the flexibility and durability of bricks are well known. ESA engineers and scientists now have sufficient visual material to consider appropriate strategies for building a functional and stable base on the Moon.
There were already plans for this in the seventies and eighties. NASA and SpaceX are currently planning a permanent base for after 2030 in order to be able to launch from there to Mars more easily and, above all, at a higher launch speed.
Building blocks could also be printed from dust there. Until then, some of ESA’s LEGO bricks from space can be seen in select LEGO stores.
