Lunar soil simulants become Lego-like blocks for rearrangeable structures

Researchers used a laser to make binder-free, interlocking blocks that can be assembled in different ways.

Editorial illustration — not from the study.

The study explored light-based direct sintering, which uses a laser to fuse lunar regolith without a binder. Researchers tested different laser settings on individual layers and thicker, multilayer parts to control how the material sintered in three dimensions.

They then designed interlocking bricks that could be assembled into different structures without additional joining material. Tests of cubic sintered blocks measured their compressive strength and porosity, with peak strength of about 3.4 MPa.

What the blocks can do

Laser sintering produced three-dimensional parts from lunar regolith simulants without a binder. The researchers also made Lego-like interlocking bricks that could be reconfigured into different structure assemblies without additional joining material. Sintered cubic blocks reached a peak compressive strength of about 3.4 MPa; the study also evaluated their porosity.

Why rearrangeable blocks matter

Using material already available on the Moon could reduce the need to transport construction supplies from Earth. Reconfigurable blocks could also offer an alternative to manufacturing large structures directly, which may be useful where manufacturing equipment and materials are limited. The authors say the approach could inform other in-space manufacturing methods and support lower-cost space habitation.

Evidence and caveats

This is a proof-of-concept study using laser-sintered lunar regolith simulants, not lunar soil collected on the Moon. The researchers tested processing conditions and measured strength and porosity in cubic blocks, but the abstract does not report construction or testing of a full-scale habitat. It therefore shows the feasibility of making interlocking parts in the laboratory, rather than demonstrating that the blocks are ready for lunar construction.

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