The Moon is planned to be our next frontier. When Artemis 3 lifts off (tentatively) towards the end of 2025, it will be the first mission since the Apollo era to land humans on our satellite. Until then, there may be a new way to get around on the Moon’s gray dust. This could at least reduce the damage caused by the sharp particles of lunar regolith. How to build a road to the Moon?
Making a laser road to the Moon from Earth
An international research team with the ESA PAVER project has found a way to melt the lunar surface (or at least a stimulator developed by ESA for it) with lasers. The researchers fired laser beams into lunar soil to create interlocking paving stones that could be used to build paved roads and landing strips.
The hardened molten regolith is tough enough to withstand the weight of rovers and other spacecraft with minimal dust release, all of which could be done on the Moon. “It is envisioned that this technology will play an important role in the first phase (survival) of lunar infrastructure and base development, and over time will contribute to all phases of lunar exploration,” the researchers recently told Scientific Reports.
SpaceX will conduct at least 144 launches in 2024 to send more Starlink satellites into orbit. Here's the detail.
There’s a reason why moon dust is the bane of lunar spacecraft and astronauts. On Earth, rock, glass and other materials in the soil are constantly exposed to weathering forces such as wind, rain and running water, so the edges of grains of sand are usually smooth.
Lunar regolith is hardly weather-resistant due to the lack of wind and fluids. Any spacecraft landing on or passing through the Moon are at risk from dust, as unweathered rock and glass fragments can easily scratch delicate instruments and etch surfaces. The low gravity on the Moon also means that tangled fragments continue to fly around and get on everything.
Scientists admit that progress still needs to be made in this research. A lens used to concentrate sunlight could replace the laser on the Moon, so this needs to be tested. Still, since only a few pieces of lightweight equipment are needed to perform these tests on the Moon, they are worth pursuing. It might even be possible that the first team since Apollo 17 walked on the Moon again will get there in time.
