Composed By-Ketan Goriwale
Extra-Terrestrial Architecture.
Space colonization involves establishing permanent human settlements and exploiting natural resources beyond Earth. Space colonization, often known as space habitation, is a desired goal due to the optimism it provides for humanity. In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of Earth’s fragile ecological balance, limited resources, and growing human population. Space opens up fresh opportunities for growth and resources. While it may appear unethical to face the issue of human overpopulation, the research findings from these new perspectives are relevant to addressing current difficulties on Earth.
Mars was chosen for habitation due to its proximity to habitable areas. Mars is half the distance from the Sun as Earth, allowing for ample sunlight. Mars’s atmosphere is mostly CO2, with trace elements such as nitrogen and argon. Plants can be grown by compressing the gas, despite the planet’s freezing temperature. Mars’ gravity is approximately 38% that of Earth’s.
minutes, which is very close to Earth’s. Mars features a stony landscape with canyons, volcanoes, dry lakes, and craters, as well as clouds and wind similar to Earth. Red dust covers the majority of the planet’s surface, and enormous storms can be seen from Earth. Mars’ atmosphere is significantly thinner than Earth’s. Spacecraft, such as starships and heavy rockets, will be reusable and able to refuel in orbit. SpaceX’s rocket launcher experiment is an excellent example of this.
There will be so many hurdles in developing extra-terrestrial architecture.
Water efficiency is achieved by heating ice in the ground soil, which condenses water and returns it to its source. A portion of the created water is kept, while another is used to generate oxygen. Mars lacks fossil fuels, requiring alternative energy sources. Solar, wind, and nuclear power are viable energy alternatives to fossil fuels.
Mars’ severe climate includes no breathable air, low gravity, no magnetic field, and a thin atmosphere, resulting in high quantities of radiation.
Recyclability is a significant difficulty in space architecture and construction, requiring efficient resource management.
Whether referred to as circular economy, sustainability, or circular life support systems, the entire ecosystem must be zero-waste.
When we finally populate Mars, water will be a valuable resource. North-western University sought an alternative to the standard cement mix for making concrete. The team chose sulfur-based concrete, which has a high material strength of 50MPa and has been in research since the 1970s. However, this technology is not practical for everyday use.
Researchers discovered that using an aggregate similar to Martian soil (including silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, iron oxide, and titanium dioxide) resulted in a concrete that was 2.5 times stronger than the minimum compressive strength required for building codes on Earth.
Ice House’s architecture highlights the significance of human presence as a source of light on Mars. This unit was developed by Clouds AO and SEArch. The design aims to bring light into the inside and create visual connections to the outside landscape, promoting both mental and physical wellness. Artificial substitutes for sunlight are not as effective in balancing a crew’s mental and physical health as experiencing the sun’s natural daily cycles.3D printing is a rapidly growing technology in architecture, with potential applications on Mars. The 3D printed design “Marsha” is an excellent example of 3D printing. As Mars is a “sulfur-rich planet,” a novel construction material made from simulated Martian soil and molten sulfur has been developed.
The MARS Case, developed using open architecture, is another excellent example of superb design. MARS Case combines multiple electrical equipment into a single product, The Home. The house minimizes resource usage by recycling heat, exhaust, condensation, and other byproducts from electronic devices. The house’s service components and inflated living rooms may be folded and packed for convenient transit. The user group will consist of astronauts and researchers working to establish a settlement on Mars and conduct additional research. After successful colonization, a design unit or pod, similar to a hotel room, will provide a living experience on Mars. If this protocol is successful, they will construct a large unit for a permanent colony.
Human-centered design or habitability can be achieved through architecture or interior design. Architectural solutions significantly improve people’s well-being. The most significant factors include a large, comfortable base, sunlight, landscape perspective, interaction with nature, flexible and roomy interiors, effective separation of loud and quiet, light and darkness, public and private, and working from living areas. Spacecraft focuses on human-centered design to enhance quality of life by integrating technology with human interactions. Before sending people to outer space, we may test human-centric design hypotheses in isolated ecosystems like Antarctica, deserts, subterranean, and underseas.
