>>12861968>printing on the moon does not currently make senseIt does if you are nasa trying to flesh out additive manufacturing
>Printing using plastic as a binder to hold regolith together requires import of tonnage quantities of plasticThe amount depends entirely on the composition percentage and it could be subsidized by plastic waste. On mars there are ways to make composites
>2. requires industry to be a bit built up to obtain sulfur from regolithNo it does not
>which is a rare resource on the Moon and more valuable as propellant. Well first off we don't know just how much water is available and also the moon is close enough that propellant production isn't incredibly necessary.
>Printing concrete with water may not work in the vacuum of space.All the more reason to test it.
>demonstrates nothing of technical worth that can't be demonstrated on Earth.Literally what thia contract is doing right now.
Remember this is just a research base for NASA its not going to take much to make and the proof of concept is worth whatever they need to import or make on the moon
