Scientists believe it’s possible to “melt” the moon’s dust to create sturdy pathways during the construction of a human base on Earth’s natural satellite. The moon lacks an atmosphere and water, with temperature differences of up to 250 degrees Celsius, reaching 120 degrees Celsius during the day and dropping to -130 degrees Celsius at night.
Simulating a base on the moon. ESA.
However, the most significant challenge for space agencies pursuing the dream of building a moon base so far is the dust. Dust infiltrates and erodes astronauts’ suits, clogs machinery, covers scientific research tools, and even hinders the movement of space travelers.
Now, the scientific community proposes a potential solution, demonstrating that moon dust can also be melted through the use of a giant lens to transform it into a specially designed “lunar asphalt” under the conditions of this celestial body.
“You might think: Roads on the moon? Who would use them?” quoted The Guardian on October 13. This statement comes from co-author Professor Jens Günster of the Institute for Materials Research and Testing in Berlin, Germany.
In reality, the need for roads is essential from the very beginning. “If the material is extremely loose, in conditions with no atmosphere, gravity, dust will scatter everywhere. Dust pollution affects not only your country’s equipment but also infiltrates neighboring countries’ devices. No one is pleased when their faces are sprayed with dust from another country’s backyard,” the professor explained.
Dust has also been a concern for previous lunar missions, such as the Surveyor 3 lunar module, which was damaged due to dust kicked up by the Apollo 12 spacecraft’s landing.
Therefore, NASA aims to overcome this challenge and views it as a priority to address in the process of establishing a permanent base on the moon.
Professor Günster and his team propose a solution using a material called EAC-1A, a product of the European Space Agency (ESA), to replace moon dust.
They use a 50 mm diameter laser beam to melt the material at a temperature of 1,600 degrees Celsius. Under the temperature pressure, the EAC-1A particles bond together and form triangular-shaped material pieces with a width of 25 cm.
These material pieces can be interconnected and create solid surfaces, extending across the moon’s surface, allowing for the construction of roads and spacecraft landing sites.