The US and the European Space Agency (ESA) are aiming to keep hold of the Moon, but the right type of materials will actually be needed before a permanent base can be established there. Bram Verbruggen, an engineer from Merchtem in Flemish-Brabant, has shown that lunar dust is extremely suitable for that purpose.
For the past two years, the 28-year-old engineer and his colleagues have been working on technology to 3D-print or otherwise produce strong, inexpensive and radiation-resistant material from lunar dust, whether this takes the form of small components, replacement parts or actual bricks consisting of 90 to 95% lunar dust and 5 to 10% of plastic. Tests involving replicated lunar dust in a simulated lunar landscape proved successful and the team proudly displayed the outcome at the ESA's astronaut centre in Cologne, which is headed by our well-known compatriot and astronaut Frank De Winne.
On its own, the acrid lunar dust poses a potential health hazard to astronauts, as it can penetrate deep into the lungs, and space suits and electronic components are also very prone to damage. But with the right technology, it can be processed and converted into safe and solid lunar bricks that can be used to construct a base, build a stable landing pad for rockets, construct a road network on the Moon and so on.
On the surface of the Moon, the dust is literally there for the taking, which means that significant savings can be made in terms of transportation costs, which account for as much as 95% of the total cost of a lunar mission.
