Recently, Mars has gained universal attention, but space agencies around the world have not forgotten that there are many other planets. And as their research continues, one must inevitably think about creating bases in which one could live, conduct research and carry out agriculture far from home. In open space, science and economic activity overlap, and the results of this tandem have no analogues here on Earth. Many structures designed for space are designed to use 3D printing, solar energy, local materials for construction and portability. From this article you will learn about six such buildings, each subsequent is more unique than the previous one.
Base on the moon from a 3D printer
The company Foster + Partners is well known for its innovative buildings, so it’s no surprise that the company designed for the moon this is a miracle of architecture. Created from parts printed on a 3D printer, the lunar base will protect its occupants from meteorites, gamma radiation and temperature fluctuations.
The company claims that materials collected on site can be used to erect a structure that will eliminate the need to carry a heap of building materials on the rocket. Some components will have to be brought from Earth, but the concept of using lunar soil as a building material can revolutionize extraterrestrial architecture.
Martian needle
NASA supports the idea of using 3D-printing in architecture. The management named Ice House the winner of last year’s contest of 3D-printing projects for Mars. The project of this Martian needle, designed for four people, received an award of $ 25,000 for its unique transparent structure, which is designed to provide residents with natural light to avoid disturbance of the circadian rhythms of the body. In addition, to survive in the unique environment of Mars, the Ice House provides a separate space for life and work, including greenhouses.
Inflatable marching system for the moon
When it comes to building on the moon, engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology offer their own unique method: a light inflatable shelter, designed for short-term “outings for nature.” In a flattened form, the capsule, working on solar batteries, does not exceed the dimensions of the refrigerator.
In a fully finished form, it assumes 425 cubic feet of space – a sufficient area for two astronauts and a transition zone, which will protect the sleeping room from the lunar dust. The concept is designed for short stays, but the designers are sure that the inflatable capsule could just as successfully serve as a dwelling for a longer time.
The world’s first space hotel?
Many agencies are engaged in designing buildings to accommodate cosmonauts in space, but what about tourists? In the not so distant future, some wealthy people will be able to take risks and go beyond the usual world, arranging a space vacation on the basis of the Russian commercial space station. A solar-powered orbital space hotel is supposed to be a not-quite-four-star dwelling if Bigelow Aerospace does not take this project.
Sfero – house-bubble
Like the lunar base printed on the 3D printer, the partially underground bubble house from Fabulous provides for the use of soil as a material for 3D printing. The Sfero is a circular bubble house with an internal garden and a working space on the top floor and bedrooms on the lower, connected by a spiral staircase.
Small living quarters are designed to reside on the red planet of two cosmonauts – as soon as scientists figure out how to maintain human life in such harsh conditions. Fabulous expect to first test the design on Earth – in Hawaii or in the Mojave Desert.
NASA will help to design and print a concrete house on Mars
Now, with the help of the special construction technologies developed by NASA, you can start designing your own house on Mars. Contour construction works in the same way as other 3D printing technologies in architecture, when the user can decide on the design and see how it will become a reality layer by layer.
Concrete can be an ideal material for such space structures, given that scientists have now figured out (as they think) how to obtain such building material on Mars using local natural resources. The technology, which is being developed at the University of Southern California, seeks the stars, but researchers note that there is no reason why it could not be used for 3D printing of conventional homes here on Earth.
