China will test 3D printing technology on the moon to build houses.

China, which first landed on the moon in 2013, plans to land an astronaut there by 2030.

The Chang’e 8 spacecraft will conduct on-site environmental and mineral composition studies and determine whether technologies such as 3D printing can be applied to the lunar surface.

China will explore using 3D printing technology to construct buildings on the moon, the official China Daily reported Monday, as Beijing consolidates its long-term plans to colonize the moon.During China’s 2020 lunar mission, Chang’e 5, named after the mythical Chinese moon goddess, an unmanned probe returned the first lunar soil samples to Earth in China. China, which first landed on the moon in 2013, plans to land an astronaut there by 2030.

At that point, China will launch Chang’e 6, 7, and 8 missions, the last of which will search for reusable resources on the moon for long-term human habitation.The Chang’e 8 probe will conduct on-site environmental and mineral composition studies and determine whether technologies such as 3D printing can be applied to the lunar surface, China Daily reports, citing Wu Weiren, a chinese national space scientist. Administration.”If we want to stay on the moon for a long time, we need to set up stations with our lunar materials,” Wu said.

The race to the moon has intensified in recent years, particularly in the USA.

This month, NASA and the Canadian Space Agency assigned four astronauts to the Artemis II mission, scheduled for late 2024 which would be the first artificial lunar flyby in decades.