One step closer to a lunar base: China sends lunar bricks to space station for testing

On Friday night, China launched the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in southern China, carrying experimental lunar bricks to the Tiangong space station. This mission aims to test the durability of bricks made from materials that mimic lunar soil, a crucial step toward constructing a future lunar base using the Moon's own resources.

The Tiangong space station, orbiting between 400 and 450 kilometers above Earth, will serve as the testing ground for these prototype bricks. Developed by a team led by Zhou Cheng, a professor at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, the bricks are designed to withstand the extreme conditions on the Moon, including drastic temperature fluctuations ranging from -190 °C to +180 °C, intense cosmic radiation, and micrometeorites due to the lack of atmosphere.

"We will mainly expose them to space," Zhou Cheng explained. "We will place them outside the space station and leave them there, exposed to the elements, to see if their performance deteriorates or not." The experiment will last between one and three years, with samples retrieved annually for analysis.

The prototype bricks are made on Earth from components that mimic lunar soil, such as basalt and anorthosite, materials abundant on the Moon. They are manufactured by sintering at temperatures above 1,000 °C, resulting in blocks with a load capacity exceeding one ton per square centimeter. "The blocks have a load capacity that exceeds one ton per square centimeter," Zhou Cheng highlighted, emphasizing their strength and suitability for construction on the Moon.

A notable feature of these bricks is their ability to interlock without the need for binding agents, which would be challenging to use on the Moon. "These bricks are assemblable and have the capacity to support one ton of weight per square centimeter," Zhou Cheng stated. This design enhances structural integrity and simplifies the construction process in the harsh lunar environment.

This initiative is part of China's broader ambition to build a permanent base on the Moon by 2035, known as the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). The ILRS is a joint project with Russia and involves about a dozen countries, including Venezuela, Thailand, Pakistan, and Senegal, along with around forty foreign organizations. China also aims to send an astronaut to the Moon before 2030, marking a significant milestone in its space exploration endeavors.

Using lunar resources for construction aims to reduce the exorbitant cost of transporting materials from Earth, making on-site manufacturing more viable. "The goal in the future is to use in-situ resources, lunar soil, to make different types of constructions," Zhou Cheng explained. This approach addresses logistical challenges and ensures the sustainability of long-term lunar habitation.

The research team drew inspiration from the lunar soil samples collected by China's Chang'e 5 probe, which, at the end of 2020, was the first mission in four decades to bring back lunar soil. The material provided valuable insights into the composition of the Moon's surface, aiding in the development of the prototype bricks.

To further advance construction capabilities on the Moon, Zhou Cheng's team is developing the "Lunar Spider," a 3D printing robot designed to build structures in space using lunar soil. This technology represents an innovative solution that combines advanced engineering with sustainability in space exploration.

Experts have expressed optimism about the potential of China's experiments. "The experiments have a good chance of success, and the results will pave the way to building moonbases," said Jacco van Loon, a professor of astrophysics at Keele University in the United Kingdom. He emphasized the importance of utilizing local resources, stating, "Using the materials available there is much less expensive than having to ship them from Earth."

Constructing a lunar base from materials found on the Moon could also mitigate challenges related to cosmic radiation, extreme temperature variations, and moonquakes. Structures built with these bricks would need to withstand not only thermal fluctuations of up to 370 degrees between day and night but also the vacuum of space and potential weakening from lunar quakes.

In addition to the bricks, the Tianzhou-8 mission carries supplies for the crews of the Shenzhou 19 and 20 missions, along with experimental cargoes including fruit flies for biological studies. China's ambitious space program has seen significant investment over recent decades as the country seeks to catch up with the United States and Russia.

Other nations are similarly pursuing lunar construction projects. As part of NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon by 2026, researchers at the University of Central Florida are testing bricks made with 3D printers. The European Space Agency has conducted studies on assembling bricks inspired by the structure of Lego pieces, highlighting the global interest in utilizing in-situ resources for space habitation.

As Pang Zhihao, a space technology expert, emphasized, "Lunar exploration is just the beginning of a new era in the conquest of deep space." China's multidisciplinary efforts in testing lunar bricks and developing construction technologies consolidate its capacity to lead long-term space initiatives, positioning it as a key player in future space exploration.

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq