From LEGO® Bricks to Moon Bases: How a Toy Inspired Space Science

What if the key to building on the Moon started with a LEGO® brick? That’s exactly what scientists at the European Space Agency (ESA) asked, and then 3D-printed the answer.

Building with Space Dust

As part of the Artemis program, astronauts will soon return to the Moon. But shipping building materials from Earth? Too expensive. So, ESA turned to what’s already there: moon dust (regolith). The catch? There’s barely any real regolith on Earth. The solution? Meteorite dust.

Researchers ground up a 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite (found in Northwest Africa in 2000) and mixed it with a bit of polylactide to create LEGO®-inspired bricks. The result? ESA Space Bricks—rough around the edges but strong enough to test lunar construction.

Aidan Cowley, ESA Science Officer, explains: “No one’s ever built on the Moon before. We had to ask: What can we build with? Turning space dust into bricks was our way of testing ideas. And yes, they stick together—just like LEGO®.”

See the Bricks in Person

Starting June 22, 2024, 15 ESA Space Bricks will go on display at LEGO® House in Billund. From June 24, they’ll tour LEGO Stores in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Denmark, and Spain.

Why? To show kids (and adults) that playing with bricks today could mean building moon bases tomorrow.

Why This Matters

This isn’t just about science. It’s about inspiration. The bricks prove that creative play can solve real-world challenges—even in outer space.

Want to see them? Visit LEGO.com/Space for more, or check out a LEGO Store near you.

Because sometimes, the best ideas start with a single brick.