Don't look now, but there's a new space race happening! Both the U.S. and China have set their sights on the Moon, aiming to break ground on permanent lunar bases within the next decade. 

But getting there is only half the battle. Actually establishing a sustained lunar presence presents significant logistical and engineering challenges. One of the biggest hurdles is figuring out how to efficiently and affordably transport building materials from Earth to construct a Moon base, but a team of scientists at China’s Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL) in Hefei, Anhui Province, may have already solved that problem.

In essence, they have developed a prototype 3D printer-like device which makes strong construction bricks out of moondust, a.k.a. lunar regolith. Being able to produce building materials with resources readily available on the Moon would reduce the need for Earth-sourced materials.

The system uses a parabolic mirror—a reflective dish—to gather solar radiation, focus it into a single point, then funnel it through bundles of fiber optic cables. At the focus point, light intensity exceeds 3,000 times the standard intensity of sunlight at Earth’s surface, reaching temperatures over 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit (1,300 degrees Celsius), according to Moon Daily. This is generally hot enough to melt moondust.

The Chinese scientists claim their prototype could manufacture materials to support construction of lunar roads, equipment platforms, and buildings to enable large-scale, sustainable lunar exploration and resource use.

Other countries, including the U.S., are also developing methods to use lunar regolith for construction, but China’s progress within the last few years has been particularly significant.