
China Makes Bricks from Lunar Soil,
NASA Already Behind
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – China will send brick samples to its space station in the coming months.
The bricks will be tested for their durability in extreme conditions and their potential use to build a base on the Moon.
According to a report from Chinese state media, CCTV, brick samples made from various compositions of imitation lunar soil will be launched to the Tiangong space station aboard the Tianzhou 8 cargo mission.
The bricks will undergo a three-year exposure test in space where they will be bombarded by ultraviolet and cosmic rays and experience various temperature differences.
The pressure will test the strength and durability of the bricks in extreme environments, and how the materials used in making the bricks behave in a vacuum.
Quoting the Space page, Monday (9/9/2024), this experiment is designed to provide insight into the composition and method of making bricks from lunar soil that are most suitable for building structures on the Moon.
One method for making these bricks involves heating the artificial material to more than 1,000 degrees Celsius using electromagnetic induction in a sintering furnace. This process fuses the material into a solid structure, creating an 18-centimeter-long brick in just 10 minutes.
Launching materials to the Moon is expensive, so using lunar resources locally could significantly reduce costs and increase the possibility of further exploration. This is known as in-situ resource utilization (ISRU).
China plans to build a lunar base with partners by 2030, known as the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS).
In preparation, the country plans to test 3D-printed bricks on the moon with its Chang’e 8 lunar lander and south pole rover. The mission is expected to launch around 2028.
SOURCE : CNBC INDONESIA