Like many big ideas, this one rests on a simple reality: the Moon’s surface is covered in "lunar regolith," a fine, dusty soil made up of 50-60% silica.
Silica is one of the main components of glass. So... Simpson and Bermudez wondered: In the Moon’s vacuum and low gravity, could lunar soil be turned into molten glass - using the Moon's limitless solar power!- and then blown or inflated into enclosed, high strength structures able to shield astronauts from radiation, micro-meteorites, and extreme temperature swings? Good question. NASA wants to know the answer.
