Laser beams allow paved roads to be built on the Moon

2023-10-13 12:16:10

The researchers attempted to melt simulated lunar dust into differently shaped slabs that could be joined together to form a paved surface. – PAVER CONSORTIUM

MADRID, 13 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –

It may be possible to create paved roads and landing strips on the Moon using lasers to melt lunar soil into a more solid and stratified substance.

It is the conclusion of a proof-of-concept study published in the journal ‘Scientific Reports’. Although the experiments were carried out on Earth with a substitute for lunar dust, their results demonstrate the viability of the technique and suggest that it could be reproduced on the Moon. However, according to the authors, further work may be needed to refine the process.

Lunar dust poses a significant challenge for lunar rovers as, due to low levels of gravity, it tends to float when disturbed and can damage equipment. Therefore, infrastructure such as roads and landing strips They will be essential to mitigate dust problems and facilitate transportation on the Moon.

However, transporting construction materials from Earth is expensive, so it will be essential to use the resources available on the Moon.

Researchers Juan Carlos Ginés Palomares and Miranda Fateri, from the University of Aalen (Germany), and Jens Günster, from the Federal Institute for Research and Testing of Materials (BAM) in Berlin, melted a fine-grained material called EAC-1A (developed by ESA as a substitute for lunar soil) with a carbon dioxide laser to simulate how lunar dust can be melted by focused solar radiation on the Moon into a solid substance.

The authors experimented with laser beams of different powers and sizes (up to 12 kilowatts and 100 millimeters in diameter, respectively) to create a robust material, although they found that crossing or overlapping the path of the laser beam caused cracks.

They developed a strategy that used a 45 millimeter diameter laser beam to produce centered, hollow triangular geometric shapes about 250 millimeters in size. The authors suggest that these shapes could interlock to create a solid surface over large areas of lunar soil. which could serve as roads and landing platforms.

To reproduce this method on the Moon, the authors calculate that it would be necessary to transport a lens of about 2.37 square meters from Earth that would act as a concentrator of sunlight instead of the laser. The relatively small size of the equipment needed would be an advantage in future missions to the Moon.