China wants to be the first country to officially establish a moon base, and they’ll accomplish this monumental task using 3D printing technology. Before this happens, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) plans on returning to the moon by the end of 2019 on the Chang’e-5 mission as well as Mars in 2020. “Chang’e-5 will return mission sampling from the surface of the moon around the end of this year. Our country’s first Mars exploration mission will take place before and after 2020,” said Dr. Wu Yanhua, deputy director of the National Space Administration and deputy commander of lunar exploration projects. Read more for a video about the 3D-printed bricks they’ll use to construct the base and additional information.
Once Chang’e-5 returns from its mission with lunar rocks from the surface, Chang’e-6 will be the first to explore the moon’s south pole. Chang’e-7 aims to study the land surface, composition, space environment in a comprehensive mission, while Chang’e-8 will provide a technical surface analysis.
“China, America, Russian and Europe are reportedly discussing whether to build a base station on the moon using 3D printing for example to build houses and other infrastructure. Mission number eight will likely lay the groundwork for this as it strives to verify the technology earmarked for the project and if it is viable as a scientific base,” reports The Daily Mail.