Led by NASA鈥檚 Moon to Mars Planetary Autonomous Construction Technology (MMPACT) programme, the effort focuses on using regolith, the granular surface material found on planetary bodies, as the primary construction aggregate for building infrastructure on the Moon and Mars.

Ongoing trials involve melting regolith with high-powered lasers or binding agents to fabricate radiation shielding, roads, and landing pads. these methods are designed to reduce launch-mass by sourcing material locally.

鈥淭he binders for these materials, including water, could be extracted from the local regolith,鈥� NASA said, 鈥渁nd the regolith itself is used as the aggregate. Demonstrations using simulated [regolith] show the concept could become reality.鈥� 

Trials used regolith simulants to 3D-print monolithic structures such as landing pads and radiation barriers.

Contour Crafting Corporation, a US-based 3D construction printing company, is one of NASA鈥檚 partners developing automated construction methods for planetary environments. Its robotic process extrudes molten regolith and binding agent in layers to produce the monolithic structures.

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Another partner, ICON, also a US-based technology company specialising in 3D printing for construction, is developing a robotic system known as Olympus, which is designed to use lunar and Martian regolith as raw material. ICON is testing a process that uses high-powered lasers melt local surface materials that solidify to form strong, ceramic-like structures. 

ICON also participated in a lunar gravity simulation experiment earlier this year through NASA鈥檚 Flight Opportunities programme. Called Duneflow, the experiment flew aboard a Blue Origin reusable suborbital rocket and tested how simulated lunar regolith behaves under Moon-like gravity. NASA said the results enabled ICON and researchers to 鈥渃ompare the behavior of simulant against real regolith obtained from the Moon during an Apollo mission.鈥�

Though these technologies are being developed for extraterrestrial use, both Contour Crafting Corporation and ICON are also commercialising them for use on Earth, particularly for housing and infrastructure applications, NASA said.

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