Between the advancements in propulsion technology and the advent of reusable multi-stage rockets, the prospect of commercial space tourism and the colonization of other planets is closer than ever before. And while numerous big-name agencies like NASA, SpaceX, and Blue Origin are focusing on developing vehicles to get us to those faraway terrestrial bodies, a few lesser-known operations have shifted their attention to engineering inhabitable structures and dwellings for when mankind finally does touch down on a foreign planet or moon.
One such endeavor was born out of a recent collaboration between 3D printing and robotics company, ICON, multinational architectural and design firm, the Bjarke Ingels Group, and space exploration startup, SEArch+ (short for “Space Exploration Architecture”), and sees all through companies apply their respective expertise to deliver a moon compound, along with the groundbreaking space-based construction systems needed to build it. Dubbed “Project Olympus,” the lunar basecamp has received some of its funding from NASA, and utilizes 100% sustainable materials and construction and a heavy amount of 3D printing, and even manages to use moon dust as a material, lessening the need to shuttle materials from earth. To learn more, check out the full press release linked below.
