Future developments: Modular expansion technology for lunar and Martian habitats
As I hurried towards the warehouse in Tokyo Bay, my curiosity was piqued. Just yesterday, I had an interesting conversation with my friend’s girlfriend L, who works as a rocket structural designer for a major Japanese machinery company. I threw him a curveball. “What if I built a house on Mars?” To my surprise, he didn’t laugh, but instead answered with some practical solutions and a museum I should visit. — He hit me with some legitimate ideas.
Well, I’m here at Warehouse Terada Co., Ltd. This is no ordinary storage place. It’s like an architectural wonder. The warehouse was a treasure trove of innovation. In one of his booths, the theme of life on the moon caught my attention. A video interview with JUN SATO, a professor of architecture at the University of Tokyo, was particularly fascinating because his story was similar to my thoughts on habitation on Mars. For half an hour, I stood still, absorbing his insights.
He explained that habitation on the moon requires three essential modules: a bridge module, two solar modules, and a housing module. But here comes the problem. Due to rocket capacity limitations, these modules must be transported in a compact form and expanded on the Moon or Mars.
The professor’s plan was to place habitation modules in deep caverns on the moon and connect them with bridge modules. This location provides comfort from extreme temperature fluctuations, cosmic radiation, and meteorites.
But I thought of another approach. That means taking 3D printers and drills to the moon and sourcing materials directly from the lunar surface. This strategy would allow habitation and bridge modules to be built on-site, presenting interesting possibilities for lunar habitation.