Why lunar regolith is the key to construction on the moon

The article highlights the critical role of lunar regolith—the Moon’s fine, abrasive soil—in enabling sustainable construction for future lunar habitats. Given the prohibitive costs of transporting building materials from Earth (estimated at around $10,000 per pound), utilizing the Moon’s abundant regolith is seen as the most practical and cost-effective solution. Lunar regolith, composed of mineral fragments, rock chips, and glass formed by asteroid impacts and volcanic activity, can be processed into bricks, hardened for roads, and even used to extract materials for solar panels. This in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) approach reduces reliance on Earth resupply missions and supports the Artemis program’s goal of establishing long-term lunar presence. Engineering efforts are focused on innovative methods to transform regolith into usable infrastructure. For example, researchers have proposed using lasers or concentrated sunlight to melt regolith and create paved surfaces, facilitating transportation and construction on the Moon. While some specialized materials may still be transported from Earth to improve processing efficiency, the consensus