Building Roads and Houses on the Moon? Lunar Soil 3D Printing System Enables In-Situ Construction

Source: People's Daily

Imagine a future where humans not only construct homes on the Moon but do so without transporting any building materials from Earth. Drinking water won’t need to be shipped either—no “express delivery” by rocket. Researchers at the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory in Hefei, Anhui Province, are confident that such activities will soon be made possible through in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) on the Moon.

Moon Construction Begins with Lunar Soil Bricks
"Take this lunar soil 3D printing system, for instance—it harnesses concentrated solar energy to melt lunar regolith at high temperatures and transform it into bricks that can be printed into components of any shape, fulfilling various construction needs," said Yang Honglun, Senior Engineer at the Future Technology Research Institute of the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory and technical lead for the lunar regolith 3D printing system. “Whether it’s building houses, paving roads, or setting up infrastructure platforms on the Moon—this technology will be essential.”

Engineering in a Hostile Lunar Environment
The Moon’s harsh climate presents formidable obstacles. “During the initial development phase, our main challenge was to achieve reliable solar energy concentration and lunar soil molding under the extreme lunar environment,” Yang explained. After evaluating multiple technical pathways, the team ultimately adopted a solution involving “reflected light concentration – fiber optic transmission – powder bed cladding and forming,” successfully overcoming the full range of challenges from energy capture and transfer to final printing.

Solving the Water Problem: Lunar Plumbing
But what about water? For long-term habitation, reliable access to drinking water is vital. Researchers are aiming to establish a lunar equivalent of municipal water systems—no shipments required. “We’ve developed the country’s first prototype of a multi-needle system for extracting water ice from lunar regolith,” said Zu Lin, Senior Engineer and technical lead of the lunar water ice extraction project at the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory, in collaboration with Harbin Institute of Technology and other universities.

△ Lunar Soil 3D Printing System – Image Courtesy of Deep Space Exploration Laboratory

Studies show that the lunar polar regions harbor substantial reserves of water ice. These could serve as primary sources of drinking water and oxygen for future International Lunar Research Stations. Moreover, electrolysis could convert this ice into hydrogen and oxygen fuels, meeting energy demands for deep space missions while reducing the cost and risk of Earth-based resupply.

“The system uses slender helical drill needles to penetrate ice-bearing simulated regolith in situ, heating it to generate water vapor. This vapor is channeled into a cryogenic condenser where it solidifies into ice for collection,” explained Zu. “This approach overcomes difficulties such as excavating lunar regolith, collecting water vapor in a vacuum, and achieving efficient ice extraction.”

△ Simulated Lunar Bricks Printed Using the Lunar Soil 3D Printing System

A Technological Leap Toward the Future
From building homes with local materials to sourcing “living water” from the Moon itself, these cutting-edge advancements reflect the transformative achievements of the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory since its establishment in Anhui three years ago.

“At present, the lab is actively engaged in major engineering feasibility studies and preliminary research projects in lunar, planetary, asteroid exploration, and planetary defense,” said Ren Xiaoqiang, Director of the Strategy Division at the Systems Research Institute. “We focus on four major areas—deep space technology, science, resources, and safety—exploring twelve key technical directions including space systems engineering, deep space energy and propulsion, and intelligent control, aiming for a fully integrated development across science, engineering, and technology.”

Toward the Stars
Humanity’s pursuit of knowledge and exploration of the cosmos remains an eternal quest. Deep space missions not only reshape our understanding of the universe but also revolutionize daily life and expand the frontiers of human existence. When we can build bases, pave roads, and drink water using lunar resources, the pathway to the stars becomes not just a dream—but an imminent reality.