Structural performance of additively constructed lunar long-term habitat subject to extreme extraterrestrial condition

As National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) revitalizes space exploration through Moon to Mars Architecture, the demand for reliable In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) grows. An autonomous additive manufacturing (AM) is considered as the most feasible approach for constructing space habitat structures. This research explores, proposes, and validates the structural performance of, a conceptual design of additively constructed lunar long-term habitat structure under lunar extreme environmental conditions. The structure is thoroughly analyzed under low gravity, internal pressurization, thermal shifts across two full lunar day–night cycles, and shallow moonquakes with return periods of up to approximately 2000 years. The study also provides a preliminary assessment of the feasibility of lunar habitat structures fabricated exclusively from in-situ regolith, without terrestrial feedstock, additives, or water. The proposed structure is composed of a modular regolith shell additively manufactured by NASA’s unique Laser Directed Energy Deposit (L–DED) technology with a compacted regolith layer designed to protect against extreme thermal fluctuations and space radiation. Coupled thermal–mechanical analyses were conducted over two complete lunar day–night cycles to capture both thermal and structural behaviors of modular shells as well as the compact packed regolith layers. Seismic analyses were also performed based on moonquake records estimated through Apollo Lunar Seismic Experiments Package (ALSEP) data, through response spectrum analyses (RSA). The findings on extraterrestrial structures contribute not only to space exploration but also to addressing extreme conditions on Earth, with potential applications in areas such as Arctic exploration and climate adaptation.