If you want to build bases on the Moon, it is clear that we cannot depend on materials sent from Earth.
Sending construction material to our satellite is extremely expensive, so a local solution is being considered: 3D printing whatever is necessary using materials that can be found on the satellite.
But it is not just about printing, you also have to correct what has been printed. For this there are several projects, and one in particular has many points to become a reality.
It is a project supported by NASA and that could solve the problem of 3D printing for lunar bases.
NASA selected a project from Relativity Space, a company that already makes 3D printed rockets, that could detect and correct 3D printing in real time. If a home or lab part’s production fails, the technology could automatically detect defects and repair them, determine if a print is still viable, or even scrap it entirely.
In this first phase of the project they have already raised $ 125,000 that they can use for six months to continue their work.
It is not a lot of money for something like that, but it will be enough to verify if we are talking about real possibilities or not. The fact is, there is a fact: 3D printing on the Moon will be real, and several problems that must be solved to make it practical.
