Moon dust could become the foundation of humanity’s first permanent lunar base
The dust under a moonwalker’s boots looks harmless from a distance. Up close, it is anything but. Lunar regolith, the blanket of pulverized rock and glass covering the moon, is abrasive, dangerous and unforgiving. In fact, it can tear through seals, wear down equipment and cling to surfaces in an airless environment. That environment is marked by radiation and violent temperature swings. That makes it one of the worst imaginable building materials. It may also be one of the most important. At Texas A&M University, researchers are treating lunar regolith not just as a hazard to survive. Instead, they see it as a resource to use. Their work is tied to one of the biggest practical questions in space exploration. That question is how to build a lasting human presence on the moon without hauling nearly everything from Earth. Researchers at Texas A&M are designing the blueprint for sustained human presence, and settlement, on the moon. (CREDIT: AI generated image / Texas A&M University) “We are moving past the era of ‘flags and footprints,’” said …
