Basic study for lunar regolith powder bed fusion in high gravity

In-situ resource utilization has become a significant issue in recent space projects. For example, various studies have focused on lunar manufacturing using regoliths available on the moon's surface. Although regolith manufacturing will be conducted under lunar gravity, most studies have not considered the adverse effects of low gravity on additive manufacturing processes. This study evaluates the gravitational effect on lunar regolith powder bed fusion (PBF) by applying centrifugal acceleration to the PBF process. The experimental results show that gravitational acceleration influences the density, hardness, and transparency of the fabricated regolith blocks.