Sky Watching

                 

3D printers could construct Moonbase

                 London based architects Foster and Partners have revealed designs for a building 
                 on the Moon that could be constructed from the material already on its surface.

                              Foster+Partners have joined with ESA to test the feasibility of 3D 
                              printing using   lunar soil (click to enlarge) – 
                              Credit: Foster+Partners/ESA.


                        Working with the European Space Agency, the plan involves launching a
                        capsule which includes an inflatable structure to deploy near the Moon’s
                        southern pole. This structure will then be covered with an outer shell built by 
                        3D printers.

                        The robot operated printers would use soil from the Moon, known as regolith,

                        to build the layered cover.

                        Designed to initially house four people, the firm said there was plenty of scope

                        for wider expansion.

                             Once assembled, the inflated domes are covered with a layer of 3D-
                             printed lunar regolith by robots to help protect the occupants (click to
                             enlarge) – Credit: Foster+Partners/ESA



                           Buildings on Earth by the architect firm include Wembley Stadium and
                           Hong Kong   International airport.

                           We may just get that moonbase yet, children of the 70′s and 80′s