Moon astronauts could live in 'glass domes made of lunar dust'

Nasa has revealed an unusual plan to build glass homes for astronauts on the Moon... made out of lunar dust.

Moon dust would melted at high temperatures into glass, which would be turned into liquid to make a large glass bubble structure to live in.

The idea has been drawn up by US space engineering firm Skyeports.

Nasa has chosen to the fund the research of the project alongside other ideas which could transform space exploration.

Unlike other building methods this has the advantage of using materials already available on the Moon.

The cost of transporting heavy items like building materials to the Moon is huge.

So scientists havebeen investigating how materials already on the Moon can be used.

Lunar soil, also known as regolith, is made up of tiny particles of natural glass and minerals.

Skyeports argue that unlike traditional ways of building which use 3-D printing and pre-fabricated parts, glass structures can use lunar glass and be built on the Moon itself.

According to the researchers, the natural glass would be melted using technology similar to a microwave oven.

They also plan to develop something they are calling a 'smart microwave furnace" to melt and blow the glass bubble sphere.

As well as the advantages in the building technique, Skyeports say the design would resist extreme conditions on the Moon such as the low gravity and changing temperatures.

Although there is no weather on the Moon, the structures could need to be strong enough to handle big changes in temperatures and moonquakes, so would need really thick shells or even multiple shells for protection.

Skyeports plan to test the idea on Earth next year and hope that real tests could take place on the Moon within a few years.