“Moon Bricks” After 1 Year of Radiation / Temps +121°C to -157°C

Returning with Shenzhou-20 crew on SZ-21 craft, being analyzed in China after one-year exposure outside Tiangong Space Station (TSS) are mortise-tenon bricks / blocks created from simulated lunar regolith, i.e., volcanic ash from Changbai Mountain with similar chemical composition; made with hot-press sintering, involving heat up to 2,000°C, pressure ±50 megapascals and possible vacuum or inert gas atmosphere, bricks have similar density as conventional but 3x compressive strength; in-situ resource utilization on Moon would use concentrated solar energy; analysis will continue at years 2 / 3, November 2026 / 2027; developed by National Digital Construction Technology Innovation Center of Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Image Credits: China Central Television (CCTV), China National Space Administration (CNSA)