Melt the lunar dust with a laser to allow 3D printing on the moon

Dust is a major problem for lunar expeditions. Moon dust can not only be detrimental to the health of astronauts, but it also erases devices and causes a wide variety of technological problems. But now, German scientists have had the idea to use the dust: melt it with a laser and use it to print tools and 3D printing equipment.

It's pretty amazing, it's not a plot of nasty Bond, but a real suggestion on how to make materials in the lunar environment. Since the transportation of equipment to the moon is very expensive, the ability to print what is needed on demand would be extremely beneficial.

The idea is to use a system called MOONRISE that weighs only three kilograms and has only the size of a big packet of juice. The device can melt lunar materials with the help of a laser and shape them into new structures. For now, the primary purpose of printing would be to make simple objects, such as bricks, for the construction of structures. In the future, the technology could be scaled up to allow the manufacture of larger and more complex objects.

The scientists worked on the technology in a laboratory with a material as similar as possible to the lunar soil. But to see if it will work in practice, the device needs to be tested in a real lunar environment.

The goal is to prepare the technology for the launch in 2021 of the German lunar mission PTScientists. This is an ambitious timetable for a new technology. "The time is very short to secure the process, to configure and test the appropriate laser while maintaining the weight budget," said Professor Ludger Overmeyer of Lazer Zentrum Hannover in a statement. "But only those who try the impossible have the chance to realize it."

Scientists believe that the potential benefits of technology make the attempt to meet the challenge worthwhile. "Fundamentally new ideas can often only be obtained if scientists and their supporters agree to take risks," said Dr. Wilhelm Krull, General Secretary of the Volkswagen Foundation, the non-profit organization that funds the project. "Even though the outcome of the experiments is not yet clear, the foundation is determined to pave the way for bold research ideas like this."