Lunar Construction Breakthrough: Researchers 3D Print with Pure Regolith Using Laser Technology.

Efforts to enable sustainable lunar construction have taken a significant step forward as researchers from the University of Toulouse have succeeded in 3D printing objects using only lunar regolith simulant, eliminating the need for imported binding agents. This approach, outlined in a recent study published in Acta Astronautica, holds promise for future lunar missions where transporting materials from Earth remains a costly barrier.

Many previous attempts at 3D printing with lunar regolith required the addition of substances like polymers or salt water to serve as binders. These materials must be manufactured on Earth and transported to the Moon—an expensive and logistically complex task. One example is a project by AI Spacefactory, which relies on polymers to enhance regolith-based construction.

To overcome this dependency, Dr. Julien Garnier and colleagues at the University of Toulouse explored the potential of using selective laser melting (SLM) on a material known as Basalt of Pic d’Ysson (BPY). Sourced from an extinct volcano in France, BPY has been widely recognized for its chemical resemblance to the basaltic rock found on the Moon, making it a reliable stand-in for lunar regolith in experimental setups.

The research builds on prior work using BPY, including studies by the European Space Agency that investigated solar-powered sintering, as well as Project MOONRISE, which tested BPY in microgravity environments. However, earlier findings noted that the compressive strength of BPY-based printed materials often fell short of the requirements for lunar infrastructure, even considering the Moon’s lower gravity.

Compression strength is a key factor in determining the viability of building materials for lunar bases. Powder Bed Fusion, a technique commonly used for metal printing on Earth, has yielded BPY materials with compressive strengths around 4.2 MPa—comparable to standard bricks—but also showed porosity levels close to 50%, significantly weakening structural integrity. Adding geopolymer binders can boost this strength, though it reintroduces the problem of needing Earth-sourced components.

In their study, Garnier and his team investigated how the internal structure of the BPY powder—specifically whether it was crystalline or amorphous—affected its mechanical properties. Crystalline powders, with their highly ordered atomic arrangements, showed a notable increase in strength compared to the more disordered amorphous powders. Tests revealed that fully crystalline powders could achieve compressive strengths up to twice that of fully amorphous counterparts.

These results underscore the importance of regolith microstructure in determining its usefulness for construction on the Moon. The researchers note that optimizing the balance between crystalline and amorphous content, as well as refining particle size and laser parameters during the SLM process, will be essential in future development.

Although challenges remain, this breakthrough brings humanity closer to the ability to manufacture vital infrastructure directly on the lunar surface using locally sourced materials—potentially with nothing more than a laser and the Moon’s dusty terrain.

Source:https://phys.org/news/2025-04-quality-3d-lunar-regolith-varies.html

This is non-financial/medical advice and made using AI so could be wrong.