Chinese 3D printing system uses lunar soil to construct habitats

Chinese 3D printing system uses lunar soil to construct habitats
by Riko Seibo
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jul 02, 2025
A pioneering 3D printing technology developed by Chinese researchers is enabling the creation of lunar structures using only soil collected directly from the Moon, eliminating the need to transport building materials from Earth.

Engineers at the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory in Hefei, Anhui province, have built a working prototype of a lunar regolith 3D printer. According to senior engineer Yang Honglun, the device utilizes a reflective concentrator and fiber-optic transmission system to focus solar energy at temperatures sufficient to melt lunar soil for construction.

"This printing breakthrough has validated the feasibility of using lunar soil as the sole raw building material, enabling true in-situ resource utilization and eliminating the need to transport any additional materials from Earth," said Yang.

Key innovations include flexible manufacturing techniques that allow the printer to produce both standardized bricks and customized components for more complex installations.

Researchers have completed a series of ground-based demonstrations, successfully melting and shaping regolith into various forms. These tests validated the performance of the concentrator, optical energy transmission system, and material shaping processes.

Early project stages focused on resolving the challenge of concentrating solar energy and forming reliable structures under lunar conditions. The multidisciplinary team drew on expertise in fields including thermal physics, materials science, optics, and mechanical engineering to develop the system.

The prototype's capabilities include manufacturing roads, platforms, and buildings on the Moon using only local materials. It also supports technologies for lunar energy harvesting and resource extraction.

Tiandu, as the laboratory is locally known, is a national deep-space research hub founded by the China National Space Administration, the Anhui provincial government, and the University of Science and Technology of China. It operates with flexible governance to foster innovation and talent management.

Since its establishment in June 2022, Tiandu has contributed to several space milestones, including the Queqiao 2 communications satellite and the Chang'e 6 mission, which returned the first lunar samples from the Moon's far side.

The lab is now leading the development of the first Mars sample research facility and is seeking global scientific cooperation. "We welcome scientists from home and abroad to conduct research in Hefei," said Li Hang, director of the lab's board office.