China has taken a significant step toward establishing a lunar base with the return of its first set of experimental “lunar soil bricks.” These specially engineered blocks, which spent a year in the harsh environment of space, landed safely on the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft last week. This milestone supports China’s ambitious vision for constructing infrastructure on the Moon, including the planned “Guanghan Palace.”
Initial inspections of the 34 returned bricks, each weighing approximately 100 grams, indicate they survived their year in orbit remarkably well. Zhou Yan, an associate professor at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, noted, “Upon opening the lid, we found that the samples were in good condition. There were no dents, holes, or other visible defects that we thought they might have because of impacts by meteorites or space debris.” He added that the bricks appeared slightly lighter in color but emphasized that further assessments are needed to understand this change.
These lunar soil bricks were created using materials designed to mimic lunar regolith. They underwent a series of advanced manufacturing techniques, including hot pressing, electromagnetic induction, and microwave sintering. As a result, the bricks possess a compressive strength approximately three times that of standard bricks, making them more suitable for the Moon’s extreme conditions.
Researchers are particularly interested in how these bricks will hold up over time. Qin Yiheng, a graduate student involved in the project, explained, “Some of the samples that we sent into space were complete, while some had 45-degree symmetrical seams that we made in advance. By doing so, we wanted to see what changes they will undergo in terms of their mechanical properties after a year on the space station.” The study not only focuses on mechanical strength but also examines the bricks’ thermal behavior and resistance to radiation after prolonged exposure.
To enhance the findings, a control group of similar bricks will remain on Earth, allowing researchers to compare the effects of space conditions with those on the ground. Zhou indicated that with the return of this third batch of samples, they aim to identify patterns that could help predict the bricks’ performance over the next five, ten, or even twenty years.
China’s lunar program aspires to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030 and establish a basic version of its planned International Lunar Research Station by 2035. By utilizing in-situ resources such as lunar soil and solar energy, the country hopes to significantly reduce the costs associated with transporting materials from Earth.
As this pioneering research progresses, it could unlock critical insights into sustainable construction practices for lunar habitats and advance China’s aspirations in space exploration.
