AssetID: 53123831
Headline: RAW VIDEO: Scientists Develop Method To Melt Moon Into Roads
Caption: Journeying across the lunar landscape is a difficult task due to the treacherous terrain and low-gravity environment. However, new research indicates that lunar regolith, the Moon's surface material, can be repurposed to create Earth-like roads - all thanks to the power of a focused lens. The European Space Agency's 'PAVER' project, led by engineer Juan‑Carlos Ginés‑Palomares at Aalen University in Germany, ventured into the realm of lunar paving by exploring the concept of melting regolith dust with concentrated light. The process under consideration is known as sintering, a technique that solidifies small particles into a cohesive mass without the need for liquefaction. In tests, it has shown great potential in producing large interlocking structures on the lunar surface to serve as foundations for paving. Establishing a human settlement on the Moon is hamstrung by the need to take supplies with you - when any weight increases the power of the rocket needed to launch you from Earth. So it’s important to utilise anything that could be used as building material on the lunar surface. Ginés‑Palomares and his team’s ingenious proposal involved harnessing a lens to focus sunlight in a manner that would induce the melting of lunar dust, creating interlocking tiles ideal for road construction. Their experiments entailed the use of EAC-1A, a simulated lunar regolith material developed by the ESA, in conjunction with a CO2 laser. The laser's intensity was meticulously adjusted to determine the optimal heat level for crafting these innovative lunar tiles. In a study titled "Laser melting manufacturing of large elements of lunar regolith simulant for paving on the Moon," published in the journal Scientific Reports, the researchers successfully demonstrated that the strength of the laser could align with the available lunar sunlight. This revelation suggests that lunar dust can be utilised to fashion these tiles, with the aid of a relatively compact Fresnel lens spanning 2.37 square meters. Remarkably, these lunar tiles exhibited durability akin to that of concrete, rendering them eminently suitable for lunar road and landing pad construction, all the while mitigating the risks associated with lunar dust. The next phase of the project will centre on enhancing the material's resilience by addressing microscopic imperfections, ensuring the establishment of a robust lunar road infrastructure. The concept of lunar colonisation has been a longstanding aspiration, and recent technological advances are bringing this ambition closer to fruition, with NASA and private entities such as SpaceX fervently working towards sending humans to the Moon. Nonetheless, numerous formidable challenges must be surmounted in the pursuit of lunar settlement, encompassing technical, financial, health-related, legal, and environmental aspects. Addressing these multifaceted challenges is paramount in laying the foundation for a permanent human presence on the Moon.
Keywords: moon,science,lunar,feature,video,photo,spacex,space,astronomy
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