On May 8, CGTN reported, citing a statement from the Institute of Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, that a new study has demonstrated the feasibility of producing essential building materials for future lunar bases.
According to information from the state media outlet CGTN, a research project by scientists from the Institute of Physics (IOP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences has shown that materials from the lunar surface can feasibly be used to produce the materials necessary for constructing human bases in the process of conquering Earth’s satellite. Through a systematic study of lunar soil samples brought back by China’s Chang’e 5 mission, researchers have identified indigenous glass fibers within the rock samples from the lunar surface for the first time.
Diagram of space activities such as the impacts of meteorites and solar wind radiation on the lunar surface. (Photo from China Media Group).
The scientists discovered ultra-long glass fibers formed from thermoplastic resin, resulting from the viscous liquid of molten material during meteorite impacts.
The press release from IOP notes that studies have been conducted using simulated lunar materials to create artificial glass fibers in the laboratory, materials for constructing human habitats on the Moon in the future, thus eliminating the need for further research on such materials in this study.
The research team stated: “Our findings directly demonstrate that glass fibers can be produced in situ on the Moon, forming a fundamental basis for developing space glass manufacturing technology such as homogeneous optical fibers and reinforced structural glass fibers according to the construction requirements of lunar habitats in the future.” The various types of glass discovered from lunar rocks transported back to Earth by the Chang’e 5 spacecraft were published in the National Science Review in March 2023.
IOP emphasized that this research provides a scientific basis for efforts to develop in-situ production processes for glass materials and construction structures based on the exploitation and processing of lunar soil resources.
In addition to glass fibers, the research team also discovered several types of lunar glass with different structures, types, and origins.
Electron microscope images of various glass particles, identified from lunar rock samples brought back by Chang’e 5 from China. (Photo from China Media Group).
On the barren surface of the Moon, there are many types of lunar glass created by different non-equilibrium thermodynamic processes such as volcanic eruptions, geological movements, and meteorite impacts, which can maintain material stability for billions of years.
These types of lunar glass play an important role in the exploration of the Moon by recording “important information about the formation processes of materials over geological time,” researchers noted.
The team of scientists classified the glasses into five categories based on material origin: “volcanic glass, impact glass, welded glass, amorphous glass formed by deposition, and solar radiation“, which record the corresponding geological activities of the Moon.
The research team stated: “Products from micro-impact processes, such as droplets or glass craters at the micron to nano scale, clearly indicate that the surface crust of the Moon is continuously formed and transformed due to the frequent impact activity of micron-sized meteorites.”
IOP stated that the research has clarified the characteristics of the space environment and the effects of the environment on the sampled lunar rocks, providing a basis for better understanding the composition of lunar materials and the evolution of lunar surface terrain over space and time.
