NASA Plans to Build Homes on Moon by 2040

NASA is in the early stages of a plan to construct homes on the Moon, which could be used by astronauts and ordinary tourists alike.

The US space agency has awarded a technology construction firm $60 million to create a lunar dwelling by 2040.

The plan involves sending a massive 3D printer to the Moon and using lunar concrete made from rocks, metallic shards, and dust to construct the structure layer by layer.

NASA is also collaborating with universities and private companies to create doors, tiles, and furnishings for the lunar home.

The plans are still in their very early stages, with only concept proposals available as of 2022 to visualize what the dwelling might look like, and the idea may evolve over the next decade.

ICON, a company based in Austin, Texas, which secured the NASA contract in 2022, leverages its experience in 3D printing on Earth to build luxurious homes layer by layer using its system, "The Vulcan."

All components of the home, such as walls and roofs, are printed separately and then assembled afterward.

The printer can create these structures in less than 48 hours.

ICON has been involved in 3D printing since 2018 and has built over 100 homes in northern Austin.

ICON has noted that the infrastructure must better protect against heat, radiation, and micrometeorites.