This 1.5-ton block was created using 3D printing from simulated moon dust. Thus, it was possible to demonstrate the possibility of building a base of the moon using local materials.
The building block was put on display in the laboratory corridor of the European Space Agency's technical center in the Netherlands, which is visited during public tours from the neighboring Space Expo.
The block was created using a cohesive salt (as “printing ink”), and the design is based on a hollow closed cell structure. This is a good option, as it combines strength and low weight. The design was erected during the initial feasibility study of the benefits of 3D printing technology from lunar materials.
In addition, a recent study examined all the ways in which 3D printing could contribute to the construction and operation of the lunar base.
