Lunar soil machine developed to build bricks using sunlight

Lunar soil machine developed to build bricks using sunlight

by Riko Seibo

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jul 30, 2025

A Chinese research team has created a prototype machine that transforms moon soil into durable construction bricks using solar energy, marking a critical step toward building lunar structures from local materials.

Developed by the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL) in Hefei, Anhui province, the system functions as a 3D printing device powered by concentrated solar heat. It employs a parabolic reflector to gather solar radiation, which is then funneled through fiber optic bundles. At the focus point, light intensity exceeds 3,000 times the standard level, reaching temperatures over 1,300 C to melt lunar regolith.

According to senior engineer Yang Honglun, the machine uses no additives - relying entirely on lunar soil. The bricks produced are dense and robust, suitable not only for shelter construction but also for roads and platforms on the lunar surface.

The project spanned two years of research and development. Key challenges included transporting and melting variable lunar soil compositions and achieving efficient solar energy transmission. To address this, the team created multiple types of simulated lunar soil for extensive trials.

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