Chang'e 8 to test 3D printing technology for construction on the moon

Chinese scientists plan to use the Chang'e-8 lunar mission to explore the possibility of using 3D printing technology to build buildings on the moon, according to the chief planner of the country's lunar programs.

Wu Weiren, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a leading scientist at the China National Space Administration, said the Chang'e-8 robotic probe is the third to be placed on the moon as part of the country's next project to explore the satellite. It is to land at the moon's South Pole to carry out environmental and mineral composition studies at the landing site, and to test whether some advanced technology, such as 3D printing, can be used on the lunar surface using lunar materials in the future.

"If we want to stay on the moon for a long time, we need to build stations using local materials. Lunar soil will be our raw material and building blocks will be printed from it. Professors from several domestic universities, such as Tongji University in Shanghai and Xi'an Jiaotong University in Shaanxi province, have already started exploring possible applications of 3D printing technology on the moon," he said.

China has a big roadmap for research programmes, the chief planner mentioned.

The Chang'e 6 robotic mission is due to land on the far side of the moon, from where it will bring back soil and rock samples. The Chang'e 5 has already delivered samples from the moon's near side.

The Chang'e-6 probe has four components - an orbiter, a lander, an ascender and a reentry module - and is scheduled to launch in 2025, as reported by China Daily, a partner of TV BRICS.

"After Chang'e-6, the Chang'e-7 robotic probe will be sent to the South Pole of the Moon to conduct "high-precision investigations", Wu said. The next-generation mission is designed to search for traces of water at the South Pole, study the environment and weather, and explore the topography. "The probe will carry a 'flyby craft' that will be tasked to fly into holes in the lunar surface in search of ice," explained Wu Weiren.

"Chang'e-7 will also be tasked with discovering natural resources beneath the surface of the Moon's South Pole. The mission designers are trying to assess whether we can use the probe to excavate on the surface and study underground structures and their composition," said Wu.

Going forward, scientists will use components of the three upcoming missions - orbiters, landers, rovers and sensors - to build a prototype robotic science outpost that will provide a platform for international cooperation in lunar exploration, added Wu.

Photo: China Daily