A Danish-led research project supported by the European Space Agency aims to demonstrate how lunar soil can be converted into conductive materials for electronics manufacturing directly on the Moon, reducing reliance on equipment and components transported from Earth. The initiative focuses on transforming oxygen-depleted lunar regolith into inks and powders suitable for printed electronics and 3D printing, enabling local production of electronic elements during future lunar missions.
Transporting materials from Earth remains a major constraint for sustained space exploration due to cost and payload limitations. Lunar regolith offers a potential alternative, as it can be processed to extract oxygen for propulsion or life support while leaving behind metal-rich residues. Researchers involved in the ESA-backed project are investigating how these residues can be reused as conductive materials for electronics manufacturing, addressing both logistical and functional challenges faced by long-duration missions.
Project leadership comes from the Danish Technological Institute, a research and technology organization specializing in materials science, manufacturing processes, and applied engineering. The institute is working with Metalysis, a UK-based company focused on extracting oxygen and metals from regolith using electrochemical processes. Metalysis is supplying simulated and de-oxygenated lunar soil for experimental validation.
“The primary innovation of the project is converting the conductive part of lunar soil, also called regolith, into a digitally printable material. This opens completely new opportunities for off-earth manufacturing of electronics for future space missions,” said Christian Dalsgaard, Senior Consultant at Danish Technological Institute.
Before regolith can be used for electronics manufacturing, simulated lunar soil must be finely pulverized using hard milling balls to achieve suitable particle size and consistency. Once processed, the conductive fraction can be formulated into inks for printed electronics or powders for conductive 3D printing. Both material forms are intended for additive manufacturing workflows that could be replicated in lunar environments.
The project builds on earlier work related to oxygen extraction from lunar regolith. Regolith contains approximately 40 to 45 percent oxygen, chemically bound within its mineral structure. Metalysis employs a molten salt electrolysis process in which calcium chloride electrolyte is heated to between 800 and 1,000 degrees Celsius. Applying an electrical voltage releases oxygen at the anode, leaving behind a mixture of metallic elements.
“Our process was originally designed as an alternative method for titanium production,” said Dr. Ian Mellor, Managing Director and Chief Scientist at Metalysis. “The technology is applicable to nearly 50 elements in the periodic table, and it is feedstock agnostic, so it can process lunar regolith. Our immediate focus terrestrially is upon high charge tantalum powders and aluminium scandium alloys for the electronics sector.”
Following oxygen removal, remaining metal alloys have previously been considered primarily for structural uses such as construction or repairs. Researchers in this project are examining their electrical conductivity as a secondary function. Conductive residues could be reformulated for electronics manufacturing, enabling reuse of materials already processed for oxygen production.
“Every time you want to send a kilo into space, you need 15 kilos of fuel to move it. So, there is an enormous advantage in being able to utilize local materials available on the Moon, for example to repair critical parts,” Dalsgaard explained.
To validate feasibility, the research team plans to demonstrate additive manufacturing using conductive inks and powders derived from de-oxygenated regolith simulant. Testing will focus on producing simple conductive structures that illustrate functional performance and manufacturability using processes compatible with lunar deployment.
“In this way, we produce conductive inks and powder and test that it can be used to additively manufacture a piece of conductive wire. By doing this, we demonstrate that the conductive powder can e.g. be used to manufacture antennas directly on the Moon,” said Andreas Weje Larsen, a 3D printing specialist at Danish Technological Institute.
Funded at €155,000, the project is structured as a proof of concept and is expected to inform future research initiatives focused on in-situ resource utilization for electronics manufacturing. Potential applications include maintenance of robotic systems, electrical installations within habitats, and construction of communication infrastructure. Local manufacturing capability would allow systems to be repaired or adapted without resupply missions, improving mission autonomy and resilience.
Lunar soil processing shifts from structure to functionality
Prior work on regolith-based 3D printing for lunar construction has shown that lunar soil can be processed on-site into load-bearing forms, addressing the constraint of transporting bulk building materials from Earth. In 2025, China’s Deep Space Exploration Laboratory demonstrated a solar-powered system capable of melting lunar soil simulant into lines, surfaces, and solid structures using concentrated energy and fiber-optic delivery. Ground-based tests confirmed that regolith can be fused without binders, validating in-situ fabrication of structural elements such as bricks, platforms, and habitat components, but stopping short of producing electrically functional materials.
A parallel line of research explored geopolymer 3D printing from lunar soils, targeting construction under extreme lunar conditions rather than electrical performance. Italy’s GLAMS Project investigated chemically activated regolith binders for liquid-deposition 3D printing, producing cement-like materials suited for medium-scale structures and shielding. While this work addressed constraints related to temperature swings, reduced gravity, and structural monitoring, the resulting materials were non-conductive, leaving electronics, power distribution, and signal transmission dependent on Earth-supplied components.
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Featured photo shows Preparing lunar regolith simulant for processing. Photo via Danish Technological Institute.
