The space bricks have landed

ESA scientists have explored how a future lunar base could be built from materials on the lunar surface. Inspired by LEGO buildings, they’ve used dust from a meteorite into 3D-printed “space bricks” to test the idea. ESA’s space bricks are on display in select LEGO stores from June 20 to September 20, helping to inspire the next generation of space engineers.

The idea seems simple. Instead of taking building materials all the way to the moon, we can use what’s already there to build a moon base. The surface of the moon is covered with a layer of rock and mineral fragments known as lunar regolith. This material can be used to make space bricks. The only problem was that there isn’t much lunar regolith available on Earth to experiment with.

Undeterred, ESA scientists came up with a solution: they made their own version of lunar regolith by grinding up a 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite. Dust from the meteor formed the basis of a mixture that was then used to 3D print some LEGO-style space bricks.

ESA Space Bricks click together in the same way as regular LEGO bricks, but are a little tougher—and only come in one color—a sleek gray! Space bricks gave ESA’s space engineers the flexibility to build and test a variety of structures using this new material.

Scientists can learn through play, just like children. The beauty of a flexible and modular building material like LEGO is that it encourages creativity, allowing you to try out ideas quickly and simply. ESA Science Officer Aidan Cowley said: “No one has ever built a structure on the moon, so it was great to have the flexibility to try out all sorts of designs and building techniques with our space bricks. It was both fun and useful for scientifically understanding the limits of these techniques.”

Some of ESA’s space bricks will be featured in select LEGO stores, to inspire kids about space and encourage them to build their own LEGO moon bases. For some of these kids it could be the start of an imaginative journey that leads them to become space engineers one day.

Emmet Fletcher, head of ESA’s Office of Brands and Partnerships, said: “It’s no secret that real-world scientists and engineers sometimes try out ideas with LEGO bricks. ESA’s space bricks are a great way to inspire young people and ‘show them how to play and the power of imagination has an important role in space science too.’

To learn more about ESA’s space bricks and the LEGO stores where you can see them, visit the LEGO website.