Researchers from Aalen University in Germany have developed a method to transform lunar soil into durable paving tiles. The approach envisions these tiles as a foundational material for future lunar infrastructure, including roads and landing pads on the Moon. The findings appeared in the scientific journal Scientific Reports (citation: Scientific Reports).
Moon dust, composed largely of volcanic rock fragments, presents unique challenges. Its particles carry a static charge that makes them cling to surfaces, while their jagged edges create significant abrasive wear. This combination poses hazards to spacecraft, spacesuits, and human lungs, underscoring the need for protective strategies in any lunar operations (citation: Scientific Reports).
Constructing roads on the Moon could shield landers and robotic rovers from abrasive dust, yet shipping construction materials from Earth would demand enormous logistics and costs. The concept aims to reduce reliance on earthbound supplies by enabling on-site manufacturing directly on the lunar surface (citation: Scientific Reports).
In a controlled experiment, the Aalen team tested turning a lunar-analog material called EAC-1A into paving elements using intense energy pulses. The process involved melting the fine-grained material with laser power reaching up to 12 kilowatts, facilitating a rapid solidification into a stable tile form (citation: Scientific Reports).
The resulting tiles are triangular with a hollow center, measuring roughly 25 centimeters across and about 2.5 centimeters thick. This geometry could offer stacking and interlocking benefits for constructing stable road sections or landing pads in the challenging lunar environment (citation: Scientific Reports).
To replicate a beam-focused lunar application on Earth, a lens with approximately a 1.75-meter diameter would be necessary to concentrate sufficient energy to melt the soil from a distance. This detail highlights the engineering scale required for in-situ resource utilization on the Moon (citation: Scientific Reports).
Juan Carlos Ginés-Palomares, a specialist in aerospace technology, commented that creating tiles directly on the Moon with relatively simple equipment could shorten construction timelines and reduce logistical burdens. The work demonstrates a potential pathway for autonomous or remotely operated manufacturing in space missions (citation: Scientific Reports).
Earlier research has also explored water formation on the Moon, signaling a broader push to establish self-sustaining operations beyond Earth. These discoveries collectively advance the discussion on how lunar resources might be used to support future exploration and settlement (citation: Scientific Reports).