The upcoming Chang’e 8 mission, slated for launch around 2028, is a key part of China’s long-term ambition to establish the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS).

Transporting building materials from Earth is astronomically expensive, so scientists are focusing on in-situ resource utilisation, using materials already on the Moon. Chang’e 8 aims to demonstrate how lunar soil can be transformed into construction bricks using cutting-edge 3D printing and solar energy.

“We’ve developed the world’s first system that creates bricks from lunar soil,” said Wu Weiren, chief designer of China’s lunar program, in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV). “The system captures sunlight, concentrates it to generate temperatures of 1400 to 1500°C, and uses that heat to melt lunar soil. The molten material is then shaped into bricks using 3D printing technology.”

This innovative approach eliminates the need to transport water or other materials from Earth, offering a sustainable path toward building structures on the Moon.

China has already sent prototype bricks, made from lunar soil simulant, to its Tiangong space station. These samples will remain in the vacuum of space for three years to test their resilience against extreme temperatures and radiation, providing crucial data for future moon-base construction.

But before Chang’e 8 takes flight, Chang’e 7 will launch in 2026 to explore the Moon’s south pole. One of its primary goals is to search for water ice in permanently shadowed craters, potentially unlocking a vital resource for drinking water, oxygen, and even rocket fuel.

“We’ll be looking for water,” said Wu. “If there’s ice in those craters, it could be a monumental discovery.”

China has steadily advanced its lunar exploration program with a series of successful missions, including the recent Chang’e 6 sample return from the Moon’s far side. The nation also aims to send astronauts to the lunar surface before 2030.