NASA is investing in a bizarre plan for human habitation on the moon: the construction of giant glass domes made directly from lunar dust. These “bubbles” could become self-sufficient cities with built-in ecosystems.
According to the Telegraph, the glass bubble city concept was developed by California-based company Skyeports and is based on one principle: we should use the resources available on site. Transporting building materials from Earth to the moon is incredibly expensive. But the lunar soil, called “regolith,” is up to 60 percent silicate, the raw material for making glass.
The construction process would look like this: a smart microwave oven would be sent to the moon. It would heat the lunar regolith to melting temperature. Then a large metal tube would pick up a mass of molten glass and, by injecting compressed gas into it, begin to inflate a giant bubble. The bubble will naturally form into a perfect sphere in the low gravity of the moon, and when it cools, it will become a solid, transparent glass structure.
These buildings are not just simple shelters. These glass domes are designed to provide a complete, sustainable living environment. The walls of these bubbles will be made of self-healing glass to withstand impacts from small meteorites or “moonquakes.” Solar panels will also be embedded directly into the glass to power the entire settlement.
Inside, a smaller sphere will serve as the main living and working space, with the space between the two spheres filled with regolith to protect the inhabitants from cosmic radiation and extreme temperature changes. This interior space could host all the amenities, work spaces, social spaces, and even agricultural areas. By creating a temperature difference between the different layers of glass, condensation can be created and used to produce water and oxygen and grow plants.
In addition to the structural strength of the spherical habitats, the transparency of these places is a great advantage for the mental health of astronauts on long-term missions. The ability to see the outside environment, the lunar landscape and even the Earth can help reduce feelings of isolation and boost their morale.
The project is part of NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, which funds futuristic projects. Skyeports has already proven on a small scale that it is possible to make glass spheres from moon dust.
The next steps for the project are clear: testing the blowing technique in a thermal vacuum chamber, then conducting experiments in simulated low gravity and finally testing on the International Space Station. Real experiments on the surface of the moon itself may also be carried out in the next few years.
Source: Digiato - Azad Kabiri