3D printing can do a lot of things, but recently NASA has said that they could use 3d to help us settle on the moon. Some of the problems right now are that they need to figure out how to make road landing pads and launch pads for roads and buildings. However, the construction and excavation robots will look very different on the moon than on Earth. They need to be lightweight yet also capable of excavating and digging in the lightweight gravity.
The set time for this to be done is by 2040. According to the New York Times article, “The USA space agency will launch a 3d printer up onto the moon which will then build structures layer by layer out of a specialized ‘lunar concrete’ made from the rock chips, mineral dust, and also dust. This was made possible by new technology and also private companies.”
Another related story to 3d printing and the moon is that for over 20 decades, astronauts who live on the international space station have relied completely on the resources from Earth for research and also daily life activities. An exception to this of course is water which is managed on the space station. Scientists are trying to develop a method to produce or manufacture supplies off of Earth.
Indeed some of the challenges of building habitats on the moon are the constant thermal cycles, radiation from outer space, and the lack of oxygen. Also, that’s not including the high cost of building them there and getting them there in the first place, also having to adapt to these harsh conditions.
This is where the ISRU comes into play. We can’t take everything from Earth to the moon or into space, that’s where the ISRU becomes important when people discuss space exploration. One true thing is that it is hard to escape the Earth’s gravitational pull which requires a lot of rocket power.
Also, a new ESA project is investigating ways that 3d printing could be utilized to make solar panels, tools, clothes, and even nutrients could be 3d printed. What’s your idea on how you could make a lunar base feel like home?
Related stories
- https://www.nasa.gov/technology/manufacturing-materials-3-d-printing/nasa-looks-to-advance-3d-printing-construction-systems-for-the-moon-and-mars/
- https://parametric-architecture.com/nasa-plans-to-build-3d-printed-settlements-on-the-moon-by-2040/
- https://www.space.com/titanium-3d-printing-astronaut-shelter-uv-radiation
- https://medium.com/@sinem_unlu/building-on-the-moon-advancements-in-3d-printing-with-lunar-regolith-f335c9cb3246
- https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/What_s_your_idea_to_3D_print_on_the_Moon_to_make_it_feel_like_home
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