Space & Astronomy

ESA plans to 3D print a base on the moon

By T.K. Randall
November 7, 2014

Image: Earthrise - Apollo 8
Credit: (PD) NASA 3D printing has come a long way in recent years and now ESA has taken its plans for the technology one step further by proposing a base on the moon created using 3D printed materials.

An unmanned shuttle would first be sent to the moon where it would deploy a special robot-operated 3D printer and an inflatable dome that would provide a scaffolding for the habitable environment in which the astronauts would live once the base is completed.The robot would then proceed to build the base by using its 3D printing apparatus to construct a solid exoskeleton using lunar dust as the building material. These external walls would protect the habitation dome from extreme temperature fluctuations, solar radiation and meteorites.

The space agency believes that the construction would take around three months to complete and that the resulting base would be capable of housing four astronauts.


Source: CNET.com

Tags: ESA, Moon, Base, 3D Printing