Perfect lunar base would be 3D printed and made with local soil

The dream of colonizing the moon is old, but it never seems ready to get off the ground. Still, this does not prevent dream scientists and engineers from building designs for lunar bases that would be realistic and practical.

Foster + Partners has partnered with the European Space Agency to develop a cheap, safe and quick-to-build lunar base model. The trump cards are the use of 3D printers to create the lining of “houses” and the use of natural satellite soil itself as a building material.

Lunar soil helps contain radiation and stabilizes the temperature. Underneath it, an inflatable and properly pressurized building would be the home of the Moon's inhabitants. And since 90% of the building material is already in place, except the printer robots, the inflatable parts and some connectors.

The blocks used have a structure similar to that of a cell wall, acting as a shield against meteorites and space radiation. In tests, the machines already print up to two meters of material per hour, being able to assemble the lunar base in just one week - but even if it comes off the paper, it is still no use to start packing for the change.