TO THE MOON, MARS, AND BEYOND: PRINTING BRICKS FROM MOONDUST USING THE SUN’S HEAT

Monday, May 08, 2017

PRINTING BRICKS FROM MOONDUST USING THE SUN’S HEAT

The European Space Agency (ESA) posted 3 May 2017 an article about making 3D Bricks from a lunar simulant.

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Engineering_Technology/Printing_bricks_from_moondust_using_the_Sun_s_heat

3 May 2017

Bricks have been 3D printed out of simulated moondust using concentrated sunlight – proving in principle that future lunar colonists could one day use the same approach to build settlements on the Moon.

“We took simulated lunar material and cooked it in a solar furnace,” explains materials engineer Advenit Makaya, overseeing the project for ESA.

“This was done on a 3D printer table, to bake successive 0.1 mm layers of moondust at 1000°C. We can complete a 20 x 10 x 3 cm brick for building in around five hours.”

Access the videos.

http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Videos/2017/03/3D-printing_moondust_bricks_with_focused_solar_heat

Advenit adds: “Our demonstration took place in standard atmospheric conditions, but RegoLight will probe the printing of bricks in representative lunar conditions: vacuum and high-temperature extremes.”

http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2013/01/Multi-dome_base_being_constructed

Title Multi-dome base being constructed
Released 15/01/2013 12:00 pm
Copyright ESA/Foster + Partners
DescriptionMulti-dome lunar base being constructed, based on the 3D printing concept. Once assembled, the inflated domes are covered with a layer of 3D-printed lunar regolith by robots to help protect the occupants against space radiation and micrometeoroids.
Id 286363

Five hours to make one brick sounds like a long time. Maybe if you sent in the robots and had them working on projects before humans landed the time would not be a problem. All part of things to consider in setting up a lunar base. Engineers should really enjoy making something like this work.

VISUALIZE MEME: = THE MOON IS OUR NEXT INHABITED PLANET

SpecialK | May 8, 2017 at 4:31 pm | Categories: Space Exploration | URL: http://wp.me/pYT74-dk