Architects & ESA to Print Lunar Base

spce, lunar, colony, architectureNot too long ago, we reported about the groundbreaking research being done by Prof.  Bandyopadhyay.  His group at WSU determined that lunar regolith would be a suitable material for 3D printing.  

In the time since that post, a London-based architecture firm, Foster + Partners, in conjunction with the European Space Agency (ESA) , has begun research developing a 3D printed lunar regolith habitat for future lunar colonies.

From the Foster + Partners website, “The practice has designed a lunar base to house four people, which can offer protection from meteorites, gamma radiation and high temperature fluctuations. The base is first unfolded from a tubular module that can be transported by space rocket. An inflatable dome then extends from one end of this cylinder to provide a support structure for construction. Layers of regolith are then built up over the dome by a robot-operated 3D printer to create a protective shell.

To ensure strength while keeping the amount of binding “ink” to a minimum, the shell is made up of a hollow, closed cellular structure similar to foam. The geometry of the structure was designed by Foster + Partners in collaboration with consortium partners – it is groundbreaking in demonstrating the potential of 3D printing to create structures that are close to natural biological systems.”

As a part of their research the firm has created a 1.5-ton model of their vision and a small scale 3D printing test hasbegun. To simulate the environment of the moon, Foster + Partners team has also been conducting their test in a vacuum chamber.

Read More at Foster + Partners

Images Courtesy of ESA via Foster + Partners