A European Space Agency-supported project is exploring how lunar soil could be turned into inks and powder for 3D printing, creating a potential pathway for the production of functional electronic systems directly on the moon or Mars.
Led by the Danish Technological Institute with support from Metalysis, the €155,000 project is thought to represent “a significant and transformative step towards truly sustainable and resilient space exploration” by reducing dependence on supplies from Earth.
UK-based Metalysis specialises in the reduction of lunar regolith - which is made up of 40-45% oxygen - into oxygen and its component elements, and has been working with the ESA and UK Space Agency since 2019 on various initiatives with focused on lunar regolith. Using its patented process, the company will be supplying simulated and de-oxygenated lunar soil for the experiments.
“The primary innovation of the project is converting the conductive part of lunar soil, also called regolith, into a digitally printable material. This opens completely new opportunities for off-earth manufacturing of electronics for future space missions,” says Christian Dalsgaard, Senior Consultant at Danish Technological Institute.
Once the oxygen is extracted from the regolith, a mixture of metal alloys remains, which is thought to be valuable for repairs and construction. It is also conductive, and could therefore be used to create ink for printed electronics and powder for conductive 3D printing. Potential applications include maintenance of planetary robots, electrical installations in habitats, and even building communications networks on the moon and Mars.
The Danish Technological Institute and Metalysis will produce conductive raw materials from de-oxygenated simulated regolith and demonstrate its use for printed electronics. The intent is to prove the concept first so that it can be replicated on the moon.
Last year, we saw the first results from metal 3D printing studies on board the International Space Station, which is being similarly positioned as a viable solution for on-orbit manufacturing. The ESA has described such research into in-space manufacturing as ‘crucial for self-sufficiency, allowing astronauts to manufacture essential parts, repair equipment and create tools on demand, without relying on costly resupply missions.’
Laura Griffiths
