Lunar soil machine developed to build bricks using sunlight

Lunar soil machine developed to build bricks using sunlight
by Riko Seibo
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jul 30, 2025

A Chinese research team has created a prototype machine that transforms moon soil into durable construction bricks using solar energy, marking a critical step toward building lunar structures from local materials.

Developed by the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL) in Hefei, Anhui province, the system functions as a 3D printing device powered by concentrated solar heat. It employs a parabolic reflector to gather solar radiation, which is then funneled through fiber optic bundles. At the focus point, light intensity exceeds 3,000 times the standard level, reaching temperatures over 1,300 C to melt lunar regolith.

According to senior engineer Yang Honglun, the machine uses no additives - relying entirely on lunar soil. The bricks produced are dense and robust, suitable not only for shelter construction but also for roads and platforms on the lunar surface.

The project spanned two years of research and development. Key challenges included transporting and melting variable lunar soil compositions and achieving efficient solar energy transmission. To address this, the team created multiple types of simulated lunar soil for extensive trials.

While the technology is a milestone, Yang emphasized that lunar soil bricks alone cannot sustain pressure in the moon's vacuum and low-gravity environment. Instead, the bricks will act as protective layers over pressure-retaining habitat modules made of rigid and inflatable structures.

He outlined a broader vision for lunar construction involving brick manufacturing, modular component integration, and structural validation under true lunar surface conditions. These efforts aim to enable full-scale surface construction supported by automated robots and the brick-making device.

This development aligns with China's plans for the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), a joint venture with 17 countries and over 50 research bodies. Scheduled in two phases, ILRS will establish a base in the lunar south pole region by 2035, with expansions in the 2040s.

In preparation, Chinese astronauts aboard the nation's space station will expose simulated lunar bricks - delivered by the Tianzhou 8 cargo spacecraft in November 2024 - to space conditions. These experiments will assess thermal durability, mechanical integrity, and radiation shielding to inform future lunar base construction.