ESA Designer Unveils 3D-Printed Moon Temple Concept for Lunar Base Alpha

Jorge Mañes Rubio, a designer embedded in the European Space Agency’s Advanced Concepts Team, has produced detailed blueprints for a 3D-printed Moon Temple intended to anchor the forthcoming Moon Base Alpha at the lunar South Pole. The structure, a colossal domed citadel with a central oculus, would be assembled by autonomous construction robots, taking advantage of the Moon’s one-sixth gravity to achieve a form impossible on Earth.

Rubio hopes the temple will act as a neutral gathering space where astronauts from diverse nations can forge a shared cosmic culture, mirroring the role of ancient temples in early societies. The concept aligns with Jan Woerner’s earlier advocacy for a utopian Moon Village and complements NASA’s Artemis roadmap, which plans crewed landings by 2028 under the guidance of independent pilot Jared Isaacman. While the design remains theoretical, ESA has launched a virtual exhibition and plans a VR experience, and the Museum Het Schip in Amsterdam will feature the temple in an upcoming exhibit. Rubio stresses that the temple is a symbolic call to action for a global space-faring coalition rather than an imminent construction project.