The project explores how to adapt Lithography Metal Manufacturing (LMM) to process scrap metal with lunar regolith contamination in a lunar environment, in view of the permanent and sustainable presence of a human outpost on the Moon with a reduced logistic demand, consequently released from onerous and not always timely terrestrial supplies.

One of the major challenges in implementing and maintain a permanent Moon base is the need for a constant input of consumables including not only food/water/oxygen for the crew but also provision of module elements, power generation, module interior fittings, laboratory resources, medical facilities etc. All these needs require a major logistics implementation when they have to be transported from Earth. The possibility of reducing this Earth dependency by making maximum use of both existing lunar surface materials and re-cycling of lunar base materials will represent the only programmatic solution to assure a sustainable settlement.

In this framework, a novel lithographic printing technique (called Lithography-based Metal Manufacturing -LMM) for processing metallic powders will be an asset to pave the way in this direction. In contrast to the currently predominantly used powder bed fusion (direct metal laser melting) techniques, this process uses a paste/suspension as feedstock and, hence, does not rely on the use of highly-spherical gas atomized powders. This will enable the utilization of recycled powders from scrap metals that are available at Moon bases and provides higher flexibility in accepting raw material with poor quality and purity.