The European Space Agency’s moon brick

The age of space living may be upon us as the European Space Agency (ESA) has just announced new developments in what looks to be the future of space colonization. Following NASA’s innovations in 3D printed chainmail and their 3D printed moon village that’s set for 2030, the ESA has brought forward a new development of a brick that is printed thanks to moon dust and the sun.

Made from a commercial simulated lunar soil, researchers used a 3D printer table that includes 147 curved mirrors, which focus sunlight onto a high-temperature beam that then melts the lunar soil into thin layers. Although the solar furnace runs at a temperatures of 1,830° F (1000° C), the process itself isn’t quick, taking about 5 hours in total. At the end of the process, we are left with a solid brick that could potentially be the foundation of our future moon home.

The solar furnace used, which is located at the German Aerospace Center in Cologne

The original goal in creating these bricks was for use in space, but with the results that they have received, researchers believe that this system could also be used here on earth to 3D print using solar power. Tommaso Ghidini, the head of the ESA’s Materials and Process division explains that “3D printing civil structures using solar power and in-situ resources could support rapid construction of post-disaster emergency shelters, removing long, costly and often inefficient supply chains.”

With a strength that matches gypsum (a mineral that is the main component in plaster and wallboards), this new brick is expected to undergo more detailed mechanical testing with researchers working to reduce the warped edges of the brick.

The brick was created using moon dust and the sun

Even though this project is still only a concept, the team at the ESA believes that this brick shows that there is a feasible construction method that can be used if we were to move to the moon.

Check out the ESA’s video below to see the printing process:

For more information, check out the ESA’s website here.

What do you think of this 3D printed moon brick? Do you think it will lead to further developments in human lunar living? Let us know in a comment below or on our Facebook and Twitter page!