Existing and new proposals of Space analog, off-grid and sustainable habitats with Space applications

Abstract

All human habitat problems fall into three major categories – the environment, the habitat itself, and the occupants. By breaking these problems down into common themes and addressing them directly, we can build a common knowledge base for all three challenges faced by humanity. A crew living in space has the new problems of coping with radiation, microgravity, and vacuum. Meanwhile, they are dealing with the usual issues of eating, sleeping, and getting along with the rest of the occupants. By isolating the differences between space and earth habitats, we can create common architectural approaches for each human habitat challenge where commonality is appropriate. We can then examine the differences, and finally isolate and modularize the secondary systems where possible. This simplifies experimentation and testing of the physical and psychological design of a structure on Earth prior to attempting to use it in space. It also allows spin-off architectures for extreme environments, off-grid settlements, research bases, and low-impact communities on Earth with applications for self-sustainable building. This paper will show numerous examples of architectures designed for space or space-analog research bases. These designs can be both descoped to off-grid sustainable architecture, and scoped up for space habitat applications. Concepts such as internal greenhouses, enclosed permaculture, thermal protection, energy management, and radiation shielding are included for both minimal habitats and large bases. These systems can be applied for disaster first responders, research bases in extreme environments, off-grid homes, and low-impact communities. Examples of these applications are also presented in this paper with a series of projects developed by the authors.