The project is led by Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Wuhan City, Central China’s Hubei Province, under the leadership of Ding Lieyun, they made bricks that are three times stronger than normal concrete.
The development is based on additive manufacturing technology and 3D printing robots that are able to use lunar soil as raw materialhe reported the official Chinese agency Xinhua.
Scientists tested different compositions of the simulated soil, including basalt from the landing site of the Chang`e 5 mission, as well as sintering processes (solidification at high temperatures) to obtain the best materials.
The bricks will first be transported in November to the Chinese Tiangong space station aboard the Tianzhou 8 cargo spacecraft, where they will undergo thermal and mechanical tests under extreme conditions, evaluating performance under cosmic radiation, lunar seismic activity and sudden temperature changes.
The first brick will return to Earth at the end of next year for further analysis designed to determine structural behavior and potential use in future Moon landing missions.
China, as part of its long-term space program, plans to start building an international lunar research station between 2028 and 2035.
2024-10-21 04:38:00
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