Frankfurt: Think a village on the moon sounds like science fiction? – It could be a reality by 2030, if the head of the European Space Agency gets his way.

Jan Woerner​ has outlined a vision for replacing the International Space Station (ISS), when it is eventually taken out of service, with a lunar "village" of structures made by robots and 3D printers that use moon dust as a building material.

An artists' impression of a moon base. Credit:NASA

"I looked into the requirements I see for a project after ISS. As of today, I see the moon village as the ideal successor of the International Space Station for [space] exploration," Mr Woerner said at a news briefing in Paris on Friday.

Mr Woerner made a moon mission a central project when he took the helm of the ESA in July last year, saying it was a key step on the way to humans eventually flying to Mars.