Alex McColgan

In 2018, they pioneered the first technology to 3D print ceramics under microgravity, which is appropriate for the nation that was one of the first to work with that material 10,000 years ago.

Their desire to pursue this goal makes a lot of sense.

getting parts into orbit is a tricky proposition.

The Tiangong Space Station itself had to be built over the course of several launches, with great costs involved and with risk-to-delicate systems every time a module was launched.

Imagine how much easier it would be if you could simply send raw material up and have it processed and manufactured into usable parts in space.

Or even better, to use extraterrestrial materials already up there.

The idea is certainly logical, but from the Tiangong's mission goals, it's clear that this has gone beyond the idea stage in China.

They are looking for ways to implement it.

The paper also describes inflatable scalable structures in space that could then be used as a habitat on neighboring bodies.

These lightweight habitats

effectively tents on the moon, would be easy to transport, but aren't limited to the moon.

More on that later.

Robotic systems would go hand in hand with this.

The manufacturing industry back home on Earth greatly benefits from robotic assembly lines.

Chinese scientists and engineers are looking at ways robots can perform tasks in space, such as repair work, construction, cargo transfer, and more.

Tychonauts are already laying the groundwork

by testing robots and their ability to perform in microgravity, such as this test here, where a robot was run through this pipe.

But it goes further than just plans for Earth orbit or even the moon.

The next research area looks towards developing new forms of energy and propulsion systems.

Solar panels are a great way to get electricity in space.