China plans to use its lunar exploration program to investigate whether it is feasible to use 3D printing technology to build buildings on the satellite’s surface, local media reported today.
The Chang’e-8 probe, whose launch date has not yet been specified, will have the mission of investigating the environment and mineral composition of the Moon, as well as checking whether 3D printing can be used on these surfaces, the scientist said. of the China Space Administration Wu Weiren, quoted by the China Daily newspaper.
“If we want to be present on the Moon in the long term, we need to install stations using lunar materials,” said the expert.
At the moment, several Chinese universities such as Tongji and Jiatong have begun to study possible applications of 3D printing technology on the earth’s satellite.
Chang’e-8 will be the third probe to land in the next phase of China’s lunar exploration program, as Chang’e-6 and Chang’e-7 must be launched first.
The Chang’e program (named after a goddess who according to Chinese legend lives on the Moon) began with the launch of a first probe in 2007.
In recent years, Beijing has invested heavily in its space program and has achieved milestones such as the successful landing of a probe on the far side of the Moon in January 2019, an achievement that no country had achieved to date. EFE