In the journal Acta Astronautica, American scientists presented the idea of building a spaceport on the moon using panels made from regolith. The main challenge was to ensure the outstanding durability of these panels, due to limited knowledge about the properties of construction materials under lunar conditions.
Unlike the Apollo missions that landed on an unprepared surface, this is not suitable for permanent lunar bases because dust and debris kicked up during landing could damage equipment. Researchers have determined landing pad parameters for spacecraft weighing up to 50 tons (like Blue Moon), equivalent to about 7.5 tons on the Moon. The site had to withstand the high temperatures of jet engines (up to 3400°C) and significant temperature fluctuations, and the construction process had to eliminate the use of traditional steel reinforcement.
