CNSA announcements or scientific publications

China Tests Lunar Soil Bricks for Moon Base Construction with Tianzhou-8 Delivery Over 3 Years, First Return by End of 2025

Nov 15, 2024, 11:52 AM

China is advancing its lunar exploration efforts by testing the construction of a Moon base using lunar soil bricks. The Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft is set to deliver these bricks, made from a material that closely mimics lunar soil, to the Tiangong space station. The bricks will be placed outside the station for approximately three years to evaluate their mechanical and thermal performance, as well as their resistance to cosmic radiation. This exposure will provide valuable data for future lunar habitat plans related to China's International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). Each year, a sample panel of the bricks will be returned to Earth for further analysis, with the first lunar brick expected to return by the end of 2025.