NASA’s Artemis program plans to send humans to the Moon in the coming years. But NASA, which is at the origin of this project, does not want to store only a few devices there, as was the case in the 70s. The goal is, 50 years later, to return to the Moon for good. The American space agency has asked for help from several companies and institutions, including ESA, its European equivalent.
As Aidan Cowley, ESA’s chief scientist, explains, the goal is to think about the future of the human species. To achieve this, we must permanently settle on planets or satellites other than Earth, and everything remains to be done on these desert worlds. To easily build houses on the Moon, ESA has taken up the idea of LEGO bricks. By maintaining their function and shape, scientists at the European Space Agency hope to be able to build robust lunar habitats.
The great advantage of this method is that it does not require any material from Earth. It’s entirely possible to build your bricks out of dust and moon rock. Once 3D printed, the bricks could then connect to each other to form walls and roofs.
Daniel Meehan, Chief Creative Officer of the LEGO Group, said he was pleased to see that LEGO bricks can have such an impact on scientific development. This new creation by ESA scientists further criticises the two entities, who have designed playsets together in the past.
A unique exhibition in the world
To test this idea as concretely as possible, ESA has just built several LEGO bricks from the remains of a meteorite. The goal for the European Space Agency was to demonstrate the ability of their 3D printer to work, even without the use of terrestrial materials.
These bricks made from meteorites will be visible in several LEGO stores around the world between June 24 and September 20, 2024. In France, only the LEGO store in Paris, located in Châtelet, will be a partner of this event. In the rest of Europe, you will be able to see these meteorite bricks in stores in Cologne (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Amsterdam (Netherlands) and London (UK).
