The Deep Space Exploration Laboratory in Hefei, the capital of Anhui province, has developed a lunar soil 3D printing system with the goal of making it possible to construct structures on the moon using local resources.
"Since it exclusively uses lunar soil, this technology eliminates the need to transport building materials from Earth, thus achieving true on-site resource utilization," said Yang Honglun, the system's technical head at the laboratory.
Shi Pingyan, the laboratory's chief engineer, said that this technology might be tested during the Chang'e 8 lunar exploration mission. It is expected to pave the way for the construction of the China-initiated International Lunar Research Station.
Yang explained how it works. "This system employs concentrated solar energy to melt lunar soil at high temperatures. The printing head, utilizing a flexible fiber optic bundle, can move freely to create standard bricks and custom-shaped structures directly on the moon's surface."
