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November 27th, 2024
Chinese team on lunar habitat construction is led by Ding Lieyun. He is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and chief scientist of the National Center of Technology Innovation for Digital Construction (NCTI-DC) at central China’s Huazhong University.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
How to build houses on the Moon? China specialists are tackling three core challenges: materials, structure, and technology.
Now in test and validation stages, building a lunar research base by applying 3D printing robot to print houses directly using lunar soil is underway.
According to China Central Television (CCTV), a Chinese team on lunar habitat construction is led by Ding Lieyun. He is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and chief scientist of the National Center of Technology Innovation for Digital Construction (NCTI-DC) at central China’s Huazhong University.
Image credit: Huazhong University
Construction techniques
The Moon’s soil, or regolith, contains abundant oxides, metals, and silicon compounds that could be processed into bricks or composite materials suitable for constructing the lunar research base.
“One approach to building houses on the Moon is through 3D printing,” Ding told CCTV. “For example, you could directly use lunar soil and process it with lasers for 3D printing. Alternatively, there are various powder-melting techniques that could be applied.”
Ding added that lunar soil is somewhat similar to ceramic materials. “If you’re working on smaller structures, the problem is not too big. But if you’re 3D printing a large building, it becomes prone to cracking,” Ding said.
Image credit: Huazhong University
Eggshell design
Ding’s team has proposed an egg-shaped architectural design known as the “Moon Pot Vessel.”
The design has been inspired by the natural strength and lightweight properties of eggshells, and also offers several advantages. Its thermal efficiency minimizes heat loss and absorption, making it well-suited to the Moon’s extreme temperature fluctuations.
“The hollow, double-layer construction not only conserves materials, but also enhances insulation,” reports CCTV. “The curved surface of the structure efficiently distributes external pressure, thus improving resistance to impacts and ensuring long-term stability.”
Ding’s team forecasts using a process on the Moon in which structures are 3D-printed layer by layer, beginning with a reinforced foundation created by using injection grouting techniques. “Once the foundation is complete, robotic systems would print the walls and domes. For the dome structures, inflatable balloons would serve as temporary molds, over which 3D-printed material would be applied to form the final shape,” CCTV reports.
Image credit: Huazhong University
Foundational research
Chinese scientists are using lunar simulants, materials similar to lunar soil, to prototype Moon bricks.
A specially-fabricated set of lunar soil bricks were recently sent to China’s space station for testing purposes, where the specimens are to be exposed to microgravity, solar radiation, and day/night swings of temperature. There are three sample boards sent into space, with one retrieved each year for performance analysis.
“[The bricks] will be placed outside the Wentian module for exposure experiments, where they will be subjected to cosmic radiation and repeated thermal vibrations, experiencing temperatures ranging from -100 degrees Celsius to over 100 degrees Celsius,” said Ding.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Standards for lunar construction
“These experiments will help us comprehend their degradation over time. Once a building is erected, we anticipate its longevity to extend far beyond just a few years,” Ding added. “Given that the project will be on the Moon, it is imperative that we gain a comprehensive understanding of how materials age in such an environment. Only through this understanding can we establish standards [for lunar construction].”
Ding said that experiments on the Moon provide foundational research to help go further in the future. “They also position the Moon as a testbed for human deep-space exploration, enabling us to reach even greater distances.”
Image credit: CCTV/CMS/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Meanwhile, China’s new Shenzhou-19 crew is moving forward on experiments onboard the Tiangong space facility after receiving supplies lobbed from the Earth in mid-November. A newly-released film shows the crew onboard the station at:
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