Chinese scientists are planning to send bricks made from simulated lunar soil into space to determine if they can be used to construct a research base on the moon, according to a report from the South China Morning Post.
The bricks will be launched from the Tiangong space station next month aboard the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft. The goal is to test their durability under the moon’s extreme conditions. The tests are part of China’s larger vision to build the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) near the moon’s south pole by 2035. This research base will focus on scientific exploration and resource development.
During a three-year experiment, scientists will study how the sample bricks degrade when exposed to radiation and significant temperature fluctuations. Ding Lieyun, a leading expert in intelligent construction from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, explained that these bricks can be baked to a strength of 100 megapascals on Earth—much stronger than regular concrete. For comparison, standard clay bricks have a strength of 10 to 20 megapascals, while high-strength bricks can reach up to 50 megapascals.
Despite their strength on Earth, the research is essential to determine whether these moon bricks can withstand the unique and harsh lunar environment.