NASA Has Some Big Plans For Moon
NASA, the space agency of the United States, is planning to send astronauts to the moon and have them stay for a long time.
To bring this vision to life, NASA is planning to construct lunar residences, an attempt that involves using a unique lunar concrete sourced from the moon’s surface. They’ve forged a strategic partnership with ICON, a pioneering company expert in harnessing 3D printing technology for construction.
This collaborative project has been named “Project Olympus,” and the blueprint is as fascinating as it is innovative.
NASA intends to send a 3D printer to the moon, a device specially designed to craft houses using some special lunar concrete materials extracted from the moon surface. But that’s not the entirety of their plan; NASA is also collaborating with various enterprises to procure additional essentials such as doors and furniture for these lunar residences.
ICON, the enterprising company supporting NASA in this mission, received its initial funding from the space agency in 2020. In 2022, they made an impressive announcement – an additional infusion of $60 million would be used to create a cutting-edge method for building structures in space. The idea is to use a rocket to launch a 3D printer to the moon, where it will start working on the complex process of building on the moon.
Certainly, Building on the moon would undoubtedly provide difficult logistical issues due to the weight of the materials and the great distance from Earth. However, NASA is persistent and creative.
To determine the durability of lunar materials, they have gathered a team of experts and built specialized testing facilities. When ICON’s 3D printer conducts its initial lunar test in February 2024, a key milestone will be attained.
However, this is only the beginning of NASA’s ambitious long-term plan. Their goals extend beyond merely the moon; they want astronauts to land on the Mars too. But there are many details in this concept that must be patiently worked out.
For instance, it’s still difficult to estimate the costs involved for regular people who want to live on the moon. These plans are currently in the early stages and are open to revision and modification.
If everything goes well, NASA hopes that Mars will be their next big destination for building homes.
So, in short, NASA is getting ready to build houses on the moon by the year 2040, and they have some exciting plans for the future beyond that.
