English

Scientists are using lasers to create lunar paving blocks

1125
2023-10-14 10:46:24
See translation

Original Hal Bowman 9000 Scientific Razor
The 3 kW laser power output on a 45 mm laser spot consolidates the interlocking structure within the EAC-1A powder bed. Source: Jens Kinst, BAM

By using lasers to melt lunar soil into stronger layered materials, it is possible to build paved roads and landing pads on the moon, according to a concept validation study in a scientific report. Although these experiments were conducted on Earth using alternatives to lunar dust, these findings demonstrate the feasibility of the technology and indicate that it can be replicated on the moon. However, according to the author, further work may be needed to improve this process.

Lunar dust poses a significant challenge to lunar rovers, as due to low gravity levels, they often float around and may damage equipment when disturbed. Therefore, infrastructure such as roads and landing pads is crucial for alleviating dust problems and promoting lunar transportation. However, the cost of transporting building materials from Earth is high, making the use of available resources on the moon crucial.

Gin é s Palomares, Miranda Fateri, and Jens G ü nster used carbon dioxide lasers to melt a fine-grained material called EAC-1A (developed by ESA as a substitute for lunar soil) to simulate how lunar dust melts into solid matter through focused solar radiation on the moon.

The author attempted laser beams of different intensities and sizes (up to 12 kW and 100 mm respectively) to create sturdy materials, although they determined that intersecting or overlapping laser beam paths could lead to cracking. They developed a strategy to use a laser beam with a diameter of 45 millimeters to generate a triangular, hollow geometric shape about 250 millimeters in size. The author suggests that these can be interlocked to form a sturdy surface on a large area of lunar soil, which can serve as roads and landing pads.

Rendered images of roads and landing pads paved on the lunar surface. Source: Liquifer Systems Group


In order to reproduce this method on the moon, the author calculated that approximately 2.37 square meters of lenses need to be transported from Earth to replace lasers as solar concentrators. The relatively small equipment size required will be an advantage for future lunar missions.

Source: Yangtze River Delta Laser Alliance

Related Recommendations
  • Intelligent laser welding with dynamic beam shaping function can reduce the demand for filler wire

    In EU project ALBATROSS, Fraunhofer IWS has developed battery housing for E-vehicles.Laser processes with dynamic beam shaping create stable joints even in challenging material combinations. Recent applications demonstrate how to eliminate filler materials while improving quality, energy efficiency, and production logic.Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (IWS) will present novel...

    09-05
    See translation
  • MKS Malaysia Penang Supercenter Factory Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony

    Recently, MKS Instruments held a groundbreaking and celebration ceremony for its Supercenter factory in Penang, Malaysia.This important moment has been witnessed jointly by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and Invest Penang, which will help meet the growing demand for semiconductor equipment for wafer manufacturing in the region and globally. This advanced factory, covering ...

    2024-11-01
    See translation
  • Progress in research on intrinsic flexible and stretchable optoelectronic devices in the Institute of Chemistry

    Organic polymer semiconductor materials, due to their unique molecular structure and weak van der Waals interactions, are endowed with the characteristics of soluble processing and easy flexibility, and have potential applications in portable and implantable medical monitoring devices. A highly flexible, skin conformal, and excellent spatial resolution X-ray detector is expected to be integrated w...

    2024-04-09
    See translation
  • Trumpf confirms a 16% decrease in revenue to 4.3 billion euros for the 2024-2025 fiscal year

    Recently, Trumpf confirmed the relevant data for the fiscal year 2024-2025 and released further news and comments regarding the establishment of a new development partnership with Rohde&Schwarz focusing on military drones.The preliminary figures were first released in July, 2025, when CEO Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller stated that “the lowest point has been reached.” The company generated sales o...

    10-23
    See translation
  • Aerotech announces new control features for laser scanning heads

    Aerotech has upgraded the performance of AGV laser scanning heads through powerful controller functions to enhance scanner control (ESC). The new ESC function of the Automation 1-GL4 2-axis laser scanning head driver is a completely passive control loop enhancement function that ensures higher accuracy in the most dynamic motion.With the increasing demand for higher output laser technology in vari...

    2024-06-04
    See translation