China is exploring the use of 3D printing technology to create structures on the moon as Beijing develops plans for long-term lunar colonisation. The first lunar soil samples were returned to Earth in 2020 by the Chinese Chan’e 5 lunar mission, which was named after the lunar goddess of Chinese mythology. By 2030, China, which conducted the world’s first lunar landing in 2013, hopes to send an astronaut there.
China will send the Chan’e 6, 7, and 8 missions during this time, with the Chan’e 8 searching for reusable materials on the moon for future human habitation. This mission will conduct on-site research of the environment and mineral compositions, according to Wu Weiren, a scientist with the China National Space Administration. According to the report, it will also determine whether or not 3D printing technology can be used on the lunar surface.
Weiren said, “If we wish to stay on the moon for a long time, we need to set up stations by using the moon’s own materials.” In other news, NASA and Canada’s space agency named four astronauts for the Artemis II mission planned for late 2024. This is likely to be the first human fly-by of the Moon in decades.
In five years, China intends to begin using its soil to build structures on the moon. A Chinese Academy of Engineering expert reportedly stated that a robot created to create “lunar soil bricks” will also be deployed during the Chang’e 8 mission in 2028.
In other news, four astronauts have been named by NASA and Canada’s space agency for the Artemis II mission, which is scheduled for late 2024. This is most certainly the first lunar fly-by by humans in many years.
