Building Exoplanet Habitation
22
December, 2018
Do you remember the movie, The Martian, with Matt Damon?
The movie, The Martian, has as an integral part of the plot the dilemma of trying to survive without a viable habitat.
From the synopsis:
“When astronauts blast off from the planet Mars, they leave behind Mark Watney (Matt Damon), presumed dead after a fierce storm. With only a meager amount of supplies, the stranded visitor must utilize his wits and spirit to find a way to survive on the hostile planet. Meanwhile, back on Earth, members of NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring him home, while his crew mates hatch their own plan for a daring rescue mission.”
Using [simple_tooltip content=’The layer of unconsolidated rocky material covering bedrock’] regolith. [/simple_tooltip], the soil from the lunar or planetary surface, basic habitation could be built and ready when the first residents arrive. And, as 3D printing gets more and more sophisticated, so, too, could the habitation.
Habitats could go from being basically a bubble hut on steroids to something much more complex and elegant:
“Perhaps in our lifetimes, although certainly within our children’s lifetimes, a new paradigm of 3D printed habitats and buildings, whether here on earth, the moon or planets within our solar system, will become commonplace.”
Whether it is 3D printing of homes on earth or extraterresitrial habitats, we should expect siginificant changes, not only in the process of building, but also in the very design and look of these structures.
Building could, and probably will have, a much more organic look, without the angular structure we have to have using current technology.
What are your thoughts on the future of habaitation, not only for homes and buildings on earth, but also the moon and other planets? What are some of the possible future building concepts and technologies we might see come to pass?
We look forward to your comments!
3 Comments
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3d printing is playing a pivotal role in transforming our today and tomorrow for a better living. I totally agree with the potential of additive manufacturing and what it can do even in outer space. As for building habitats in another ecosystem, only 3d printing could be used as it’s compact and highly performance-driven. We can also expect futuristic 3d printing wonders like:
1. Foldable 3d-printed satellite launchpads
2. On the go printing of emergency tools inside the spacecraft
3. Implanting sensors over other planet’s surface by creating a 3dprinted custom case
Excellent points, Sam.
Thank you, author, for sharing such a valuable and informative article. 3d printing is bringing the next paradigm shift to make our living easier. Building habitats in outer space is becoming a reality gradually as space organizations have a longterm view of building an entire ecosystem. Only additive manufacturing could fit best as it’s highly-customizable, cost-optimized, and convenient. I would also like to add a few benefits of additive manufacturing:
1. Availability of a wide range of materials for building complex designs faster
2. 3d printing enables on-demand production which will be handly in outer space
3. Less carbon footprint as we can use bio-based material to build objects