Moon roads: Scientists suggest using lasers to create solid surfaces on the Lunar surface

Scientists have proposed making roads on the Moon by shooting lasers at the lunar soil - in a move that could help us live on the Moon. A new study suggests that, using lasers, we can melt the lunar soil into solid layered substances which could be used to build paved roads and landing pads on the Moon's surface.

The news comes as space agencies aim to establish semi-permanent bases on the Moon to help better study it and for it to be used as a stop off base to elsewhere in the solar system. However, landers often disturb the soil and the low gravity on the Moon means dust flats around after it has been disturbed - which could find its way into the machinery. Therefore, making solid surfaces to land on will aid in travelling around the Moon.

The new study examined if lunar soil could be hardened, and scientists found some success after melting the substance with lasers. They used a 45-millimetre diameter laser beam to make hollow triangular shapes that were about 250 millimetres in size. These pieces could slot together to create a solid surface and manipulated to create roads.

The plan is reported in a new journal article, ‘Laser melting manufacturing of large elements of lunar regolith simulant for paving on the Moon’, published in Scientific Reports.

For the Moon, the same approach would require a lens of around 2.37 metres squared, transported from Earth to be used to concentrate sunlight, rather than using a laser, and so allow the material to be created with minimal equipment.