Plans to establish settlements by utilizing the Moon's resources.

Humans aspire to establish settlements on the Moon and other suitable celestial bodies in the future. However, transporting construction and energy materials from Earth is impractical. Thus, efforts are being made to utilize lunar materials.

Researchers in Berlin are exploring ways to create glass and bricks from lunar dust, as shipping such materials from Earth is extremely costly. Prof. Enrico Stall, an aerospace engineering expert, points out that many organizations are interested in supplying goods to the Moon, with costs around one million euros per kilogram of cargo.

To replicate lunar dust on Earth, materials like basalt and feldspar can be obtained from volcanic areas, though they need to be as dry as possible. When heated to 1,400 degrees Celsius in a vacuum chamber, these materials can become a lava-like substance with great potential.

Simon Stapelfeldt from the Technical University of Berlin notes that this achievement is groundbreaking, as such experiments have not been previously conducted in a vacuum. The primary goal is to create habitats and structures like homes and solar cell frameworks, with vast possibilities ahead. Moon dust is coarser than Earth's.

Julian Bash, also from the university, explains that they have two key components—basaltic material and anorthosite—that can be combined to form a suitable base for the Moon. Bricks can be produced at temperatures of 1,500 degrees Celsius, despite the lack of water in lunar dust.

Stefan Linke mentions that the furnace required for brick production must be transported from Earth, weighing about 100 kilograms, but it can process substantial amounts of material. The production of fuel on the Moon is theoretically possible due to abundant sunlight and clear skies, enabling electricity generation through solar cells.

Students in Berlin have successfully created both glass and bricks. The glass needs to allow maximum light passage for conversion into solar cells, with research at Potsdam University focused on developing thin, clear glass.

Physicist Felix Lang states they aim to produce perovskite solar cells on lunar glass. This process involves melting materials to create glass and layering a micro-thin perovskite layer on top. Perovskite, a synthetic crystal-like material, can dissolve in a solvent and be evenly sprayed onto glass in a vacuum chamber. Additional heating will be applied at lower temperatures, providing advantages over traditional silicon.

Lang points out that cosmic rays can displace atoms in solar cells, leading to defects and failures. However, perovskite is soft enough to allow displaced atoms to return to their original positions, ensuring durability in space.

The final solar cell comprises two glass plates with a perovskite layer in between. Its functionality was tested by aiming it at an artificial sun in a vacuum, successfully generating electricity shortly afterward.

Lang concludes that if one kilogram of perovskite can be transported to the Moon, it could create a 400-square-meter area—equivalent to three volleyball courts—capable of producing 500 kilowatts of electricity. Nearly half a century after the first human steps on the Moon, we are dreaming even bigger—aspiring to live there.