Living on Unknown Planets in Space

In this guide I will show you how my creation can be used, built and adapted to live on planets. I will show all the ways it can adapt and explain how it should be used.

Materials:

• Model glue
• Pins
• Clothespins
• Uv resin
• Cardboard
• Stuffing
• Aluminium foil
• Wire

Tools:

• Needle nose pilers
• Wire cutters
• Nail file or sand paper
• Calliper
• Scissors
• Resin printer(or 3d but resin is recommended for the smaller pieces.)

Optional materials and tools:

• Batteries
• Wires
• Motor
• Motor blade attachment
• Uv light

The exterior is very important. It needs to be airtight, strong, and be able to stop radiation from getting inside. These can mostly be solved by material. I decided to use the same strategy we currently use. Which is to have pieces made from the layering of a bunch of different metals slowly reducing the amount of particles released. For my purposes the outside also needs to be made out of pieces that can tile easily in a 3d plane but also be able to create a large amount of different shapes. I created a model out of cardboard to test a bunch of different shapes and in the end decided to make the joins separate from the exterior so then any angle could be achieved just with a different piece. Using equilateral triangles and squares as the main wall tiles. I modelled pieces for 180, 120, 90, and 60 degree joins. The models linked will piece together and be filled with sealant and welded to create an airtight seal. Up to this point astronauts will have to be constructing in suits but now they can attach an airlock and introduce oxygen or link it to another building. For the actual model creation I would recommend waiting to attach the exterior pieces together. In theory these pieces would be printed on the planet. They could even be made similarly to the moon lego bricks.

In this step astronauts can attach the supports, they will be attached with nuts and bolts. In some of my models I added guide holes for the support attachments. When building a model put needles in the guide holes and then glue them together. To add pressure to help glue the pieces together I used cardboard and clothespins. Once the glue is dry cut the pins as close as possible to the print leaving the piece inside. With the extra cut off pin bit bent one side to make the pins stay in more while putting them together. I create the triangle support pieces first then slide them on to the sticks. Having a nail file or sand paper is important because it makes sliding the triangle pieces on easier as well as putting on the support attachment pieces. I liked to make sandwiches of support attachment, support triangle, support triangle, support attachment all placed on the support sticks. Then I used UV resin to attach it to the exterior pieces. Insulation can be then carefully added. A reflective bag after that will complete the insulation(At least in this example there is more room for extra insulation of different types depending on what is needed). The bag also creates a sealed of space for the extra details in the next step; astronaut manipulation/movement; and more. The idea is to have two rows of supports so depending on insulation needs one of the support structures may be revealed in that case wires can be threaded through it. (Note: Late in the process I made a model that just was all the support pieces together I recommend just using that.)

In the space created by the bag, details and pipes can be added. When I say details I mean anything that needs to be there with planets being so diverse the exact knowledge of what else is needed I do not know. So I included a model that attaches to the grid on the interior piece. This model can be edited and changed so any number of thing can be attached. I've created a model to hold pipes because I believe that it is pretty necessary as well as simple LED more for the purpose of the model. The details and pipes will be attached to the back of the interior pieces. Due to the smaller size of my model and restrictions of my 3d printer fret not about there being to few pegs for details and pipes for in the real thing it will be larger with many more hexagons to attach to. The majority of the wires can be added for management run through the holes in supports if they are revealed. In theory a model can be made to hold them instead of running them thorough the supports. Whether it is needed is debatable but the addition is easy.

Support attachments get added to the interior piece and it can then be attached to the poles. Interior joins are also added now to keep the pieces together. I designed it with the idea that with the screws facing outwards the interior join pieces can be removed then the interior pieces themselves letting the pipes, wires, and details be worked on. In the model I used Uv resin to quickly attach them just curing it outside in the sun. Once again attaching the interior joins to the model is to happen at the end just for the models sake.

LEDs get threaded through the hole in the piece and pipes just get placed in. Apply a little glue to keep the pipes together. In reality it would function like a classic pipe holder.

The Interior joins are also made specially for each angle. You can find them made for the same angles as the exterior pieces. They can be glued on. Where in reality they would simply be screwed in. In order to create a more comfortable space flooring can be attached although the pieces function as walls as well.

Using simple shapes and angles you can create a wide number of different design and forms of housing. With a wide array of forms housing can adapt to its surroundings. Alongside a system of pipes, wiring and other things that can easily be changed by astronauts using the knowledge they already have. All it takes is the knowledge of 3d printing/geometry and a 3d printer capable of 3d printing the parts. They can be scaled and changed, added too or things can be taken away. The design is meant to be versatile and you can see the potential in the models I built. I merged square and triangle but they can be used individually.

I created a simple pyramid. Due to my inexperience in 3d modelling I did not include clearance so I experienced a lot of trouble with putting pieces together due to that. The lack of clearance can be solved simply with a sanding tool. In my examples the floors don't get the support space because the models are designed with the ground adding extra insulation giving astronauts more space to work and live comfortably. If you decide to build keep in mind the square and support system will need to be scaled as to fit with the rest.

What if extreme environment habitats embraced their unique surroundings to enhance human well-being?

I believe that a lot of extreme environments have usable tools within them. Some work has gone in to 3d printing with material from the moon and on ceres there is a lot of water humans could use to drink or create oxygen and hydrogen. Planets can be dug into as to give insulation and living under the planet surface also provides protection from weather.

What did you learn through this process that you could apply to addressing a problem of the built environment in your own community? 

I've explored geometry a lot and seen how growing upwards or downwards needs to be explored. my community has many people who struggle with housing and food because of the rising prices. I believe that we need to further explore growth in the vertical plane to make more housing for people to live in. There are so many ways to build things shapes vary so wildly and can be adapted to any shape or space. We could make so much more housing AND keep it affordable. We just don't because we live in a capitalist society set on making as much money as possible and not on the people who live in it.