The world continues to celebrate the historic landing of the Chinese spacecraft Chang'e-4 on the far side of the moon on January 3. Last month, the Celestial Empire also announced its further plans for the development of an Earth satellite. Within their framework, the dispatch of three missions is expected, which will have to lay the foundation for the start of construction of a lunar base. The colonization of the Moon and other planets in the solar system has always been a topic of inspiration. Technological advances and the discovery of significant reserves of water closer to the lunar poles have made this idea all the more compelling. But how close is China to the actual implementation of this idea?
If we speak only from the point of view of currently available technologies, then the Celestial Empire is capable of starting the construction of a lunar base right now, according to the Space.com portal. But, apparently, not everything is so simple.
First lunar base
The first lunar base will most likely be an uninhabited station, all work on which will be performed by robots. It will look similar to how Amazon's warehouse robots, which it uses in large quantities, work. The creation of a fully autonomous robotic station will lay the infrastructure that will be vital for those who will later fly to the moon with one goal - to stay here.
The lunar environment is a space vacuum, extremely low and high temperatures, solar radiation and other conditions that are clearly unsuitable for humans. We still do not know much about what effect a long stay in its environment can have on the human body. Nevertheless, thanks to the same active actions of China, some questions are already getting answers.
The cotton seeds sent to the moon along with the Chang'e 4 mission gave growth. This is the first time in history that a plant has been grown on the moon. And this case opens the way to the possibility of growing food on a satellite of the Earth in a lunar base, providing the food needs of the colonists.
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Environmental issues aside, building a lunar base won't be much different from building the first oil rig in the ocean. It is necessary to conduct a reconnaissance of the area (in our case, collect and analyze soil samples), conduct feasibility studies, and also deal with the logistics of delivering bulky goods. Everything, you can fly.
China has already taken the first step in this chain - it is engaged in exploration of the area. If we talk about where exactly the base will be built, then at the moment the most promising option is to build a dwelling just under the lunar surface. It's very simple: building an underground dwelling and infrastructure will protect them from the harsh surface conditions of the lunar environment.
Without 3D printing anywhere
Among all currently available technologies for building a lunar base, the most effective and promising option is 3D printing technology. On Earth, 3D printing has already proven its worth, successfully gaining a foothold in the construction, automotive, aerospace, medical and military industries, reducing both production costs and waste.
The technology is getting better every year, new methods of 3D printing are being developed. All of this clearly shows that 3D printing will be a revolutionary method for solving the most difficult engineering problems.
Additive manufacturing will be very actively used in the creation of extraterrestrial colonies. There is no doubt about it. For example, China plans to use 3D printing technology not only inside the lunar station, but also outside it. 3D printing will allow you to create not only household items and essentials (mugs, spoons, forks, plates, furniture, and so on), but also the parts needed to repair the station.
3D printing in space is not an easy task. It will require the development of new technologies that will enable it to operate in the reduced gravity of the moon. There is a need to develop 3D printers capable of printing objects and objects in the vacuum of space.
New materials will be required
Experiments aboard the International Space Station have proven that some terrestrial materials can change their properties in space. We are talking, for example, about optical fiber. In other words, materials that may or may not be effective on Earth may become ineffective or very effective on the Moon.
Whichever material engineers ultimately choose for 3D printing for use in lunar gravity must be resistant to the environment in which it will be used. The development of such materials is critical. Realizing this, scientists are trying to solve this issue step by step. For example, researchers in Germany are working on how to make 3D printing possible in space using metal particles. NASA also showed off its 3D printing capabilities in space. By the way, Russia is not lagging behind in this matter either. Back in 2017, the TETA company presented a prototype of an electron-beam 3D printer for metal, which, according to its developers, can be used on the Moon as well.
We've already seen how 3D printers are capable of printing entire homes on Earth. Generally speaking, a similar approach, in combination and use of ready-made parts, is likely to be applied to create a lunar base. We have seen examples of what such bases might look like many times. For example, the same NASA agency has been holding competitions for 3D printing technologies for homes on other planets for many years.
Life on the moon
We have only touched on technical issues related to the creation of a lunar base. It is also important to resolve issues related to human life on the moon. It is necessary to find out exactly whether a person will be able to stay in a space environment for a long time and how this will affect human physiology down to the cellular level. Unfortunately, our stock of knowledge in these matters is still insufficient. A lot of additional experimentation and research is needed.
We have already found out that human organs, tissues and cells are very sensitive to gravity, but how these cells function and how they regenerate in space is still a mystery. What will happen to a person if he gets sick? Will earthly medicine be effective in this case? If people want to start living on the moon, then all these fundamental questions need to be answered.
If we talk about more recent prospects, then the most important role in supporting long-term lunar missions and colonization will play technologies of three-dimensional bioprinting, as well as robotic surgery. Movement in these directions is already underway. For example, the Russian company 3D Bioprinting Solutions recently successfully tested the world's first 3D bioprinter for working in microgravity.
Nikolay Khizhnyak