from the we-all-just-need-to-decide-what-kind-of-filament-we're-using dept.
Chang'e 8 missions will check whether regolith harbors appropriate materials:
China's space program has decided to no longer worry about hauling construction materials to the Moon and just 3D print buildings onsite instead, said state-sponsored media on Monday.
China Daily said the Chang'e 8 lunar mission would conduct onsite investigations to see if lunar materials would be appropriate for the job. Wu Weiren, a leading scientist at the China National Space Administration (CNSA), told the outlet that lunar soil would be printed into the construction units.
He added that [scientists] at Tongji University in Shanghai and Xi'an Jiaotong University in Shaanxi Province had "already begun studying the possible applications of 3D printing technology on the Moon."
It is globally understood that astronauts will work and live on the Moon and will need not only infrastructure, but also the ability to repair and construct tools and resources independently.
"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," Wu told China Daily.
[...] China achieved its first lunar landing in 2013. Chang'e 8 is expected to launch in 2028 after Chang'e 6 and 7. China plans to place an astronaut on the lunar surface by 2030.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by khallow on Thursday April 27, @01:03PM
(Score: 3, Funny) by looorg on Thursday April 27, @01:28PM (5 children)
Moon base ... How about a 3D printing your own Moon Theme park ... With Blackjack ... and Hookers! I'm sure Bender would approve (or probably not, he doesn't approve of anything he didn't come up with first).
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 27, @02:48PM (4 children)
First things first. Personally, I'd like a strong roof over my head for meteorite protection.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Thursday April 27, @05:55PM (3 children)
Good luck with that, the Moon doesn't have much protection and I'd much rather go out with a bang, than suffocate in the dark.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 1) by khallow on Saturday April 29, @04:11PM (2 children)
Ground.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday May 01, @01:50PM (1 child)
How far down are you going to dig? Would definitely need at least 2 entrances/exits. Now, if they were thinking about protection from not big meteorites, then I could see digging out a nice underground space or using an existing hole could be useful. The bigger the meteorite, the bigger the problem. The Moon just doesn't have enough atmosphere to take care of meteorites like the Earth does. For instance a meteorite like the one that exploded over Russia a little over a decade ago, would have been a much more dangerous meteorite (for someone on the moon), if it were to hit the Moon instead. https://earthsky.org/space/chelyabinsk-meteor-exploded-over-russia-feb-15-2013/ [earthsky.org]
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2, Interesting) by khallow on Saturday May 06, @07:42PM
A few meters will stop micrometeorites. And I can dig elsewhere and put it on top of structures too. And yes, put in at least two entrances/exits. Would be prudent even in the absence of micrometeorites, right?
Only if it was almost a direct hit. And as we see, they aren't very common. Don't have everyone living in one spot and put up enough protection for the common stuff.