“They cook the moon to 1,300 degrees”: China transforms the regolith into bricks thanks to the sun to build lunar bases without land materials

The prospect of building structures on the moon from the materials available on site is becoming reality thanks to an impressive innovation. Chinese scientists have developed a machine capable of transforming lunar soil into solid bricks, only using solar energy. This advance could not only reduce the construction costs of lunar bases, but also allow increased autonomy for future lunar colonies.

Revolutionary lunar brick manufacturing technology

Researchers from the Hefei spatial exploration laboratory have developed a machine operating as a 3D printer. It uses a parabolic reflector to concentrate solar light, which is then transported by optical fibers. At its focal point, the light intensity exceeds 3,000 times the standard level, reaching temperatures above 1,300 degrees Celsius. This extreme heat makes it possible to melt the lunar regolith, transforming it into solid construction bricks. These bricks are ideal for building shelters, roads and platforms on the lunar surface.

This apparently simple technology is extremely powerful. It represents a major advance for the exploitation of lunar resources. Lunar bricks are not sufficient alone to maintain pressure in the low severity environment of the moon. Rather, they will serve as protective layers on pressurized habitat modules, made from rigid and inflatable structures.

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Lunar construction challenges

The development of this technology required two years of hard work. The main challenges included the transport and fusion of the various lunar soil compositions, as well as the optimization of the transmission of solar energy. To overcome these obstacles, the team has created several types of simulated lunar soils for in -depth tests. This approach guarantees that technology will operate reliably in the difficult environment of the moon.

Another important challenge is protection against meteorites, which represent a constant threat to lunar structures. Bricks must provide sufficient protection against these impacts. Consequently, the tests include assessments of thermal sustainability, mechanical integrity and shielding against radiation.

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A step towards lunar autonomy

What makes this progress particularly remarkable is its self -sufficiency. The machine uses the lunar soil exclusively, without additional additives. This means that future lunar settlers will not need to transport heavy construction materials from Earth, considerably reducing the costs and complexity of the establishment of lunar bases. According to the main engineer Yang Honglun, this autonomous approach is crucial for the viability of future colonies.

The importance of this innovation lies in its ability to transform a dream into a tangible reality. The vision is not limited to the manufacture of bricks: it includes the integration of modular components and structural validation under real lunar conditions. These efforts aim to allow a large -scale construction, supported by automated robots and the machine to make bricks.

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Tests in real conditions and future perspectives

To ensure that this technology works as expected, Chinese astronauts aboard the national space station will test the lunar bricks simulated in space. Delivered by the Tianzhou 8 cargo cargo in November 2024, these bricks will be exposed to the spatial conditions to assess their thermal sustainability, their mechanical integrity and their capacity for protection against radiation.

This crucial step will inform the future construction of lunar bases. The ultimate objective is to develop a complete infrastructure on the Moon, capable of supporting human life in a lasting way. Yang’s vision for lunar construction not only includes the manufacture of bricks, but also the integration and validation of modular components under real lunar conditions.

While research and development is continuing, a question arises: how will this technology transform our ability to colonize the moon in a lasting and autonomous manner?

This article is based on verified sources and the assistance of editorial technologies.

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