3D printed space habitat designed for the SpaceX spacecraft
A space habitat inspired by the SpaceX spaceship is enthroned in a Swiss experimental park.
Students aged 6 to 18 at the Rosenberg Institute worked for years on a prototype for future astronauts that would fit inside the envelope of SpaceX’s powerful spacecraft rocket.
The results, presented on Wednesday (July 20), reveal a light-filled structure created in collaboration with Danish architecture firm SAGA Space Architects. The three-story building includes dedicated areas for analog astronauts to work and relax.
Related: Newly discovered bacteria on the space station could help astronauts grow crops on Mars
In the coming years, the students will complete “immersive learning modules” in the habitat. They will work in what is said to be the tallest 3D-printed polymer structure in the world at 23 feet (7 meters) tall, the institute said in a expression (opens in new tab) timed to coincide with the 53rd anniversary of the first manned moon landing.
“Our goal is to provide future leaders with early exposure to the issue of advanced space exploration, enabling our students to approach and solve complex issues from a collaborative and holistic perspective,” said Bernhard Gademann, Rosenberg’s director general in the statement.
The Rosenberg Space Habitat took two years to create from “initial creative concepts and paper models,” the institute said. Industrial partners helped with the 3D printed outer shell created in Milan and the inner structure manufactured in Copenhagen.
Using polymer in 3D printing was a conscious choice, but somewhat unique as “it offers more versatility than concrete, which is used in most 3D printed structures”. In anticipation of high levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on the lunar surface (opens in new tab) or Mars (opens in new tab), the material has a UV stabilizer to make it more durable. However, the habitat can also be broken down and the polymer reused to make a new structure if needed.
Student mission add-ons include a robot called Spot and multifunctional furniture that allow residents to make the most of tight spaces.
Planned investigations, Rosenberg explained, will examine hardware, software, remote control systems and “sensory stimulation” including light, sound and smell. Students will also take part in projects that simulate “systems thinking” (how a complex system connects its parts together) and work in the field of artificial intelligence.
Rosenberg added that they hoped the internal investigations in their habitat would benefit future lunar explorers, as they would teach students “not to fear new technology, but to embrace it and develop it for the next generation.”
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace (opens in new tab). Follow us on Twitter @spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or Facebook (opens in new tab).