• Home
  • Science
  • China to Reportedly Test 3D Printing Technology on Moon to Build Habitats

China to Reportedly Test 3D Printing Technology on Moon to Build Habitats

China, which made its first lunar landing in 2013, plans to land an astronaut on the moon by 2030.

China to Reportedly Test 3D Printing Technology on Moon to Build Habitats

Photo Credit: CNSA/GRAS

China launched the Chang'e 5 lunar mission in 2020

Highlights
  • China plans to land an astronaut on the moon by 2030
  • Between now and then, China will launch the Chang'e 6, 7 and 8 missions
  • ]Chang'e 8 probe will conduct on-site investigations of the environment
Advertisement

China will explore using 3D printing technology to construct buildings on the moon, the official China Daily reported on Monday, as Beijing solidifies plans for long-term lunar habitation.

In the 2020 Chinese lunar mission, the Chang'e 5, named after the mythical Chinese goddess of the moon, an uncrewed probe took back to Earth China's first lunar soil samples. China, which made its first lunar landing in 2013, plans to land an astronaut on the moon by 2030.

Between now and then, China will launch the Chang'e 6, 7 and 8 missions, with the latter tasked to look for reusable resources on the moon for long-term human habitation.

The Chang'e 8 probe will conduct on-site investigations of the environment and mineral composition, and also determine whether technologies such as 3D printing can be deployed on the lunar surface, China Daily reported, quoting Wu Weiren, a scientist at the China National Space Administration.

"If we wish to stay on the moon for a long time, we need to set up stations by using the moon's own materials," Wu said.

China wants to start building a lunar base using soil from the moon in five years, Chinese media reported earlier this month.

A robot tasked with making "lunar soil bricks" will be launched during the Chang'e 8 mission around 2028, according to an expert from the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

The race to set foot on the moon has intensified in recent years, particularly with the United States.

This month, NASA and Canada's space agency named four astronauts for the Artemis II mission planned for late 2024, in what would be the first human fly-by of the moon in decades.  

© Thomson Reuters 2023


Xiaomi launched its camera focussed flagship Xiaomi 13 Ultra smartphone, while Apple opened it's first stores in India this week. We discuss these developments, as well as other reports on smartphone-related rumours and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.
Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

MG Motor Expects 30 Percent Sales to Come From EVs in 2023, Comet EV Hatch to Launch on April 26
Google Pixel 8 Pro Tipped to Feature 50-Megapixel Samsung ISOCELL GN2 Camera Sensor: Details
Share on Facebook Gadgets360 Twitter Share Tweet Snapchat Share Reddit Comment google-newsGoogle News
 
 

Advertisement

Follow Us

Advertisement

© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2024. All rights reserved.
Trending Products »
Latest Tech News »