"Moving to the Moon by 2040?"… NASA Plans Housing Construction

NASA "No Reason It's Impossible"
Utilizing Local Rocks and Minerals as Building Materials
Some Scientists Remain Skeptical, Calling It Unrealistic

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is advancing plans to build housing on the Moon. The goal is to create a residential area where the general public can live by 2040.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 2nd (local time), quoting NASA's Chief Technology Officer Nikki Weckhuysen, saying, "We are all ready to take steps together."

For this project, NASA signed a contract worth $57.2 million (approximately 77 billion KRW) last year with the American private company ICON.

The core of this plan is to utilize local resources such as rocks, mineral fragments, and dust accumulated on the lunar surface as building materials, and to print houses using three-dimensional (3D) printers. Weckhuysen expressed confidence, stating, "If we develop the core capabilities, there is no reason it cannot be done."

A scene from the movie "The Moon," which is themed around lunar exploration [Image source=Naver Movies]

3D printing is a technology that outputs objects by layering raw materials based on three-dimensional blueprints. On Earth, it has been effective in reducing costs, time, and materials through automation of construction processes. It is expected that 3D printing technology will also be feasible on the Moon.

Jason Ballard, CEO of ICON, which gained attention for building housing complexes using 3D printer technology in places like Texas, USA, said, "3D printing can bring a better future to humanity."

ICON will conduct experiments in February next year to prepare for specific conditions such as radiation and thermal vacuum to ensure that 3D printer equipment can operate on the Moon. NASA is working with some universities and private companies on furniture and interior design for lunar surface housing.

Some in the scientific community express skepticism about the feasibility of NASA's plan. Considering the long time it took humanity to explore the Moon, they argue that housing construction is an unrealistic project. There are also concerns that inhaling lunar dust could be harmful to human health.

Some foreign media reported, "The United States has many national and international agreements related to the Moon," adding, "This could become an obstacle to the house-building project."