11
$\begingroup$

We can read about Moon exploitation and making bases on there for long-term colonies. But bringing materials to make buildings there does not makes economical sense, and a large spaceship may be a hard bet. It seems to make much more sense to make buildings out of local resources.

Are there enough resources on the Moon to make a concrete-like building to host operations?

I wonder what kind of materials could be used to make walls and floors and ceilings. On Earth, we use basically sand, water, etc.

$\endgroup$
5

1 Answer 1

10
$\begingroup$

Paul Spudis notes the moon has lots of aggregate. Lunar regolith is shattered bedrock with granules of all different sizes.

Spudis suggests "Instead of water-set lime-based cement, we can use glass to cement particulate material together. Regolith can be sintered into bricks and blocks, as well as roads and landing pads, using thermal energy (passive solar, concentrated by focusing mirrors) or microwaves that can melt grain edges into a hard, durable ceramic."

See Regolith, the "Other" Lunar Resource

$\endgroup$

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.