NASA’s Artemis Project Will Include a 3D Printed Lunar Bunker

NASA is once again turning to 3D printing to help it in its upcoming Artemis Mission, this time through a collaboration with AI Space Factory. In the project, AI Space Factory will be creating a 3D printed base camp (named LINA) where astronauts and robots will have a place to live and work. This lunar bunker will have the capacity to house an astromobile, telecommunication devices, habitation modules and more. Moreover, it is intended to protect astronauts from radiation, lunar earthquakes, extreme thermal changes, meteorites and will also have a photovoltaic tree to capture solar energy.

NASA is aiming to set off in 2028 for this mission which they hope will allow them to make new scientific, technological discoveries to build a lunar economy and importantly explore Mars while maintaining human presence for long periods of time. The material used for the construction of this 3D printed lunar bunker by AI Space Factor was synthesized by NASA’s Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Laboratory and later validated in vacuum with static extrusion tests.

LINA (Lunar Infrastructure Asset)

The design of the LINA base has been done by the American company AI Space Factory with the aim of allowing astronauts to stay for long periods of time in the shelter, which will itself be built by autonomous robots. It will consist of three units, each of 75 square meters separated by a common courtyard of 90 square meters. The shelter will be located at the lunar south pole, also known as the “Peak of Eternal Light,” where solar radiation is constant. It will also be possible to collect ice in the shade inside a crater near to the proposed site.