INCREDIBLE plans have been revealed for a jaw-dropping 3D-printed skyscraper – which will be built on the moon.
The innovative 50m-tall structure, designed by British firm Foster + Partners, will feature vast solar panels.
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The energy collected will be used to power lunar infrastructure at the Moon’s South Pole.
NASA and 3D-printing studio Branch Technology are also partners on the extraordinary project – which aims to create a sustainable energy source for future moon bases.
Images show the breathtaking tower that will be constructed using 3D-printing technology.
It will feature a spiral-shaped structure with fold-out solar panels.
These panels will unfold from the tower’s top platform – harnessing solar energy to support critical power and communication systems.
Foster + Partners is no stranger to space-focused designs.
The firm has previously worked on 3D-printed, habitable structures intended for extraterrestrial environments.
This project’s main goal is to provide a permanent energy source for scientific missions and settlements on the Moon – and ensure long-term sustainability.
Norman Foster, the founder of Foster + Partners, said: “The science fiction fantasies and inspirations of my youth are the project realities of today.”
He explained that designing structures for space pushes the boundaries of innovation – and “revolutionises how we build and live in harsh climates”.
The tower will also use another revolutionary method to make construction more feasible.
Its design is optimised for autonomous construction – a key feature for extraterrestrial projects where human presence will not always be possible.
Additive manufacturing, or 3D-printing, means that lunar regolith – the top layer of rock on the moon – can be used.
This means that dust and rocks from the Moon’s surface will create the materials needed for construction.
It will drastically reduces both the cost and complexity of moving materials from Earth to the Moon.
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A Foster + Partners spokesperson said: “For over a decade, we have been working with the latest technologies – and industry-leading collaborators – to design extra-terrestrial habitats and explore opportunities for life in space.”
A scale model of the groundbreaking solar tower is currently on display at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
It has been set up as part of Foster + Partners’ From Earth to Space and Back exhibition.
The exhibition also ties in with NASA’s preparations for its next mission to return humans to the Moon, where projects such as the moon tower will play a critical role in making sustainable, permanent lunar habitats.
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