Architectural Potential of a Martian Habitat with a Hybrid 3d Printed and Inflatable Construction System

This project rehearses a plausible habitat on the surface of Mars, exploring the application of a hybrid inflatable and 3D printed construction system, thus identifying its technological requirements and architectural potential. Sustaining air pressure, generating protection from the harsh environment and creating a habitat capable of tackling isolation through connecting with the landscape are three essential aspects hard to compatibilize when solving for permanent habitation on Mars. To achieve this, this study analyzes the possibility of using habitable inflatable shapes that can work as pneumatic permanent scaffolding for a 3D printed protective shell made of in-situ resources. In this configuration air pressure and shell weight synergically cancel each other, enabling large habitable spaces and lowering printing adhesion requirements at the same time. To regulate this balance, inner pressure is scaled down between the main habitat and the exterior by adding an intermediate biosphere, which is also combined with different shell widths. To generate powerful connections with the exterior, the possibility of substituting part of the shell by water pockets is considered for ceiling illumination, since water blocks radiation while letting light through. Another alternative analyzed is the inclusion of narrow and deep tubular windows with a low sky factor. The prefabricated elements would be transported from Earth and fit in a typical payload fairing, including all the pieces needed for the deployment of the habitat and airlocks, which would gradually deploy and incorporate regolith and water. This sequence is simulated using software such as Houdini and Unreal Engine, and a frame of physics calculations is provided for the different stages to enforce feasibility. The result is a proposal of a martian habitat, designed with a feasible constructive system that is backed up by a series of detail drawings, a deployment sequence analysis, and structural calculations as proof of concept.