The 'space bricks' made from meteorite dust

The ESA's Lego-style bricks could be used to help astronauts build shelters when they reach the Moon

Scientists from the European Space Agency (ESA) have worked to create 'space bricks'.

The bricks were made using dust from a meteorite 4.5 billion years old.

They were made using a 3D printer, and have a similar shape to classic plastic Lego bricks.

In future space projects on the Moon, the ESA hopes to use technology like this to build shelters for future astronauts.

When a meteoroid leaves a trail in the sky, it's called a meteor

The meteorite which was used to create the bricks was discovered in North-West Africa, 24 years ago.

It's made up of lots of different types of rock, including large metal grains and chondules - which are formed from molten drops of rock.

Before structures can be built on the Moon, the ESA needs to see if space material can be used to create building blocks so they tested this theory on a smaller scale.

How do you turn space dust into bricks?

Aidan Cowley, ESA Science Officer said: “No-one has ever built a structure on the Moon, so we have to work out not only how we build them but what we build them out of as we can’t take any materials with us.

"My team and I team love creative construction and had the idea to explore whether space dust could be formed into a brick similar to a LEGO brick so we could test different building techniques.”

This type of technology could be used to create a base for astronauts to stay in during visits to the Moon - a part of the planned Artemis missions to get humans back on the surface of the Moon.

Some of the space bricks will be available to view in different Lego shops across the world.