Interstellar engineering: Student uses NASA-supplied simulated lunar soil to 3D print out-of-this-world housing

Apr 6, 2023 | Breaking Barriers, Engineering, Mechanical and Materials Engineering, News, Research, School of Biomedical, Mechanical and Materials Engineering

From a young age, Aguiar has dreamed of being a space explorer.

He hopes his work will allow astronauts to create their own habitats while in outer space

NASA is working to build a research base on the moon to send the first astronauts to Mars. Along the way, a new industry is coming to life: construction on surfaces beyond Earth. This is where master’s student Brandon Aguiar ’21 is launching his promising career.

Aguiar is advancing a 3D printing technique that makes durable structures out of lunar dust. He has produced igloos, building blocks and cubes with complex angles and curvatures.