Lunar Habitation

Foster + Partners is part of a consortium set up by the European Space Agency to explore the possibilities of 3D printing to construct lunar habitations. Addressing the challenges of transporting materials to the moon, the study is investigating the use of lunar soil, known as regolith, as building matter.

The practice has designed a lunar base to house four people, which can offer protection from meteorites, gamma radiation and high temperature fluctuations. The base is first unfolded from a tubular module that can be transported by space rocket. An inflatable dome then extends from one end of this cylinder to provide a support structure for construction. Layers of regolith are then built up over the dome by a robot-operated 3D printer to create a protective shell. To ensure strength while keeping the amount of binding “ink” to a minimum, the shell is made up of a hollow closed cellular structure similar to foam. The practice designed the geometry of the structure in collaboration with consortium partners – it is groundbreaking in demonstrating the potential of 3D printing to create structures that are close to natural biological systems.

Simulated lunar soil has been used to create a 1.5 tonne mockup and 3D printing tests have been undertaken at a smaller scale in a vacuum chamber to echo lunar conditions. The planned site for the base is at the moon’s southern pole, where there is near perpetual sunlight on the horizon.

Lunar Habitation

Lunar Habitation

Leslie L. Dan Pharmacy Building
2006 - Toronto, Canada

Leslie L. Dan Pharmacy Building

Imperial College Flowers Building
2001 - London, UK

Imperial College Flowers Building

SkyCycle
2013 - London, UK

SkyCycle

Petronas University of Technology
2004 - Seri Iskandar, Malaysia

Petronas University of Technology

Scottish Gas Headquarters
2003 - Edinburgh, UK

Scottish Gas Headquarters

Château Margaux
2015 - Bordeaux, France

Château Margaux

LSE Library
2001 - London, UK

LSE Library

McLaren Technology Centre
2004 - Woking, UK

McLaren Technology Centre

Droneport
2015 - Multi-location, Central African Republic

Droneport

Imperial College Sir Alexander Fleming Building
1998 - London, UK

Imperial College Sir Alexander Fleming Building