Solar-Driven Additive Sintering of Lunar Regolith Simulant: A Proof-of-Concept for Off-Earth Manufacturing

The development of sustainable infrastructure on the Moon requires the ability to fabricate structural components using in-situ resources. This work presents a proof-of-concept sintering stand designed to demonstrate solar-based additive manufacturing using lunar regolith simulant. The system employs a Fresnel lens to concentrate solar energy onto a mixture of 75% lunar highlands simulant and 25% aluminum powder, achieving localized melting without electrical heating elements. A 3-axis motion platform enables layer-by-layer deposition and sintering of material into monolithic components. Control is achieved via Raspberry Pi and Python scripts, with linear motion calculations used to coordinate the lens and the build platform. The mechanical assembly includes a motor-driven planetary gearbox for rotational alignment with the Sun, as well as motorized linear stages for X, Y, and Z motion. This stand serves as a scalable framework for exploring solar-based regolith processing, with future efforts focused on improving print fidelity, optical tracking of solar angles, and real-time control of melt zones. The successful sintering of rectangular blocks of various dimensions validates the approach and supports further development of off-Earth additive manufacturing technologies.