3D-Printed Solar Tower Could Be the Solution for Energy on the Moon

The development of a sustainable presence in space, particularly on the moon or Mars, requires extensive infrastructure, such as power and communication networks. This is understood by the British architecture firm Foster + Partners, which, in collaboration with NASA and the US company Branch Technology, has developed a 50-meter-high solar tower that is to be built on the surface of the moon using 3D printing. Foster + Partners is also part of a consortium founded by the European Space Agency (ESA), which is researching the possibilities of 3D printing for the construction of lunar dwellings. Branch Technology, on the other hand, is a company specializing in 3D printing that develops 3D printing systems that are also suitable for applications on the moon.

Developed as part of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program awarded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the solar tower is currently in the development phase and can be viewed in the “From Earth to Space and Back” exhibition at the Kennedy Center until April 13, 2025. Featuring scale models, 3D-printed structures and films, the exhibition invites viewers to imagine a future on Mars or the moon.

The design resembles a signpost and is 50 meters long in total. The fold-out solar panels are used to generate energy.

The aim of the 3D-printed solar tower is to supply future moon bases with energy and perform communication tasks. It will also serve as a permanent energy source for scientific missions and settlements on the moon. Foster + Partners also emphasizes that the solar tower is part of a larger vision for lunar infrastructure. This also includes habitable, 3D-printed structures, which the company has already presented in the past.