The moon may look peaceful from Earth, but its surface is one of the harshest environments imaginable.
It is covered by a layer of fine dust and crushed rock called lunar regolith. This material is not like the soil we have on Earth.
It contains sharp particles of rock and glass that can damage equipment, wear down seals, and create serious challenges for anyone trying to live or work there.
Yet scientists believe this dusty material could become the foundation for future human settlements on the moon.
Researchers at Texas A&M University are helping develop new ways to build homes, roads, and other infrastructure using resources already available on the lunar surface. Their work supports NASA’s plans for a long-term human presence on the moon, including its proposed Lunar Innovation Park.
Professor Patrick Suermann, a construction science expert and former U.S. Air Force officer, says the time has come to think differently about space exploration.
“We have to stop thinking like explorers and start thinking like settlers,” he said. Instead of carrying everything from Earth, future lunar residents will need to use local materials to build and survive.
The reason is simple: transporting supplies to the moon is extremely expensive. According to Suermann, sending just one kilogram of material to the moon can cost between $1 million and $1.3 million. Every kilogram saved can reduce mission costs dramatically.
This is why researchers are focusing on using lunar regolith as a building material. Producing resources directly on the moon could make future missions far more affordable. For example, fuel made on the moon could cost a fraction of what it would cost to transport fuel from Earth.
To support this effort, Texas A&M has created a major research center called the Texas A&M Space Institute. Located near NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the facility includes large outdoor testing areas designed to mimic the surfaces of the moon and Mars.
Scientists and engineers use these sites to test new technologies, including robotic vehicles, autonomous systems, and construction equipment that may one day operate on other worlds.
Another important part of the research is taking place in the university’s Construction Automation, Safety and Education (CASE) Lab. Researchers there are studying how humans and robots can work together to build structures in environments that are too dangerous for people to handle alone.
Future lunar construction sites may rely heavily on robotic workers. Rovers could transport lunar soil, robotic arms could print structures layer by layer, and engineers on Earth could supervise operations using virtual reality systems.
The challenges are enormous. The moon has no atmosphere to protect against radiation, temperatures can change dramatically between day and night, and the dust can damage equipment. Every tool and every shipment must be carefully planned.
Suermann believes lessons learned from difficult construction projects on Earth, including his military deployments in places such as Greenland and Afghanistan, can help prepare engineers for these challenges.
NASA hopes to establish a permanent lunar base by 2040. Researchers at Texas A&M are helping make that vision possible by finding ways to transform the moon’s dusty surface into the building blocks of a future human settlement.
One day, lunar regolith may become the material that helps people not only visit the moon, but live there.
