NASA's crystal cities made from moon dust
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NASA’s Artemis program is exploring the concept of building glass-like habitats on the Moon using its own dust to establish a long-term human presence by 2030. These futuristic ‘crystal cities’ could hold the key to sustainable building.
Through microwave sintering, lunar regolith can be heated to extreme temperatures and transformed into a solid, glass-like material, resulting in transparent domes that resemble giant bubbles and are strong enough to shield inhabitants from radiation, micrometeorites, and extreme temperatures.
Microwave sintering uses high-frequency waves to fuse lunar dust into solid structures, eliminating the need for water or cement.
These structures could be 3D-printed directly on the Moon using autonomous robots, reducing the need to transport heavy materials from Earth. The resulting glass is durable and insulating, making it ideal for maintaining livable temperatures inside the habitat.
The proposed crystal cities would be self-sustaining ecosystems. Inside these domes, astronauts could grow food using hydroponics and recycled water, conduct scientific research in controlled environments, and enjoy Earth-like living conditions with breathable air and a regulated climate.
This concept reflects a broader shift in space architecture, namely the use of local resources to build sustainable habitats, which is part of a growing field of study known as In-Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU) and has the potential to transform how we colonise other planets.