After the
successful launch of Artemis I, NASA is now beginning to work on the next steps in its lunar exploration program. Ultimately, the goal is to set foot on the moon and spend long-term stays there. And as it is a question of living there, we must think of an adequate dwelling.
NASA then launched a call for tenders for the construction of landing pads, roads and habitats on the lunar surface. After studying the offers, it is ICON, a company specializing in large-scale 3D printing, which was assigned for the mission. The Texas company announced that it had received the sum of 57.2 million dollars to develop a 3D printed construction on the Moon.
Build with local materials
Transporting materials from Earth to the Moon would be cumbersome and extremely expensive. In order to reduce costs, ICON will instead use local materialsand in particular lunar regolith (layer of dust on the surface of the Moon). The company plans to take its 3D printing technology to the Moon in 2026.
The video below shows the type of dwellings the company might build on the Moon. But it is only a prototype for now. The design is still subject to change.
ICON
