The case for having a permanent base on the moon as a staging point for space exploration has been made many times over the years. Actually constructing a real lunar facility presents numerous significant logistical challenges, not least of which is the genuinely astronomical cost of sending things into space.

Researchers used a synthetic version of moon dust to build working solar panels, which could eventually be created within – and used to power – a moon base of the future

The same dirt that clings to astronauts’ boots may one day keep their lights on, say scientists. German researchers have created solar cells made out of simulated moon dust. The team explained that the cells convert sunlight into energy efficiently,