Road on Moon? Scientists find new tech for construction on lunar surface
lunar dust, consisting primarily of dark gray lunar volcanic rock, could potentially be used as a raw material for constructing roads and landing pads on the moon. The finding is based on experiments conducted on Earth, where simulated lunar soil was exposed to concentrated sunlight through large lenses, as reported by Space dot com.
Unlike Earth, the moon lacks erosion processes caused by wind and water, resulting in the presence of sharp-edged particles in lunar dust.
This abrasive characteristic poses a significant hazard to space exploration, as explained by Juan-Carlos Ginés-Palomares, an aerospace engineer at Aalen University in Germany. Lunar dust also carries an electrical charge, making it sticky and adhesive, which can cause damage to lunar landers, spacesuits, and potential health issues if inhaled.
To address the challenges posed by lunar dust, one solution is to construct roads for rovers on the lunar surface.
However, transporting building materials from Earth is costly. Therefore, researchers are exploring the possibility of utilizing lunar resources.
In a recent study, scientists experimented with a fine-grained material called EAC-1A, developed by the European Space Agency, to investigate if concentrated sunlight could melt lunar dust into solid rock slabs.
Using laser beams with varying strengths and sizes, the scientists simulated concentrated sunlight in their experiments. They successfully produced triangular, hollow-centered tiles that could interlock to create solid surfaces for constructing roads and landing pads on the moon.
