The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has announced plans to test 3D printing technology on the moon. Their mission? To construct habitats amidst the lunar surface. As part of its long-term vision, the CNSA aims to establish a permanent presence on the moon, pushing the boundaries of human exploration beyond the blue planet we call home.
China’s recent lunar missions have demonstrated the country’s readiness for lunar exploration. The Chang’e program, named after the Chinese goddess of the moon, has made its mark on history by successfully landing on the moon and recovering lunar samples.
The upcoming Chang’e 8 mission, scheduled to launch in 2028, will send a robot equipped with a 3D printer to the moon. The main goal of the mission is to see if 3D printing technology can be used to build habitats on the lunar surface. The printer will use the abundant lunar soil to create structures from local resources.
The CNSA has emphasized the importance of utilizing the moon’s own resources for extended lunar stays. “If we wish to stay on the moon for a long time, we need to set up stations by using the moon’s own materials,” explained Wu Weiren, a scientist at the China National Space Administration.
The agency believes that 3D printing could be a more efficient and cost-effective method of building structures on the moon than conventional methods. By using lunar regolith, the loose surface material on the moon, as the base material, China aims to use 3D printing to build stronger and more sustainable structures. This innovative approach has a number of advantages, including reducing the weight that needs to be brought into space, speeding up the construction process, and the ability to adapt to the lunar environment.
