NASA has unveiled a bold vision for establishing human habitats on the moon, featuring ‘lunar glass’ domes as potential residences.
Despite a perceived stagnation in space travel advancements over recent years, the horizon of exploration appears promising as scientists continue to challenge the limits of what is achievable.
A newly highlighted initiative by the space agency seems like a concept from a distant future, yet it might be closer to reality than anticipated.
According to a report from The Telegraph, NASA is backing a project focused on developing glass domes that could be constructed on the lunar surface.
The innovative concept involves using ‘lunar regolith’, the particles found on the moon’s exterior, to create large glass structures intended for astronaut habitation.
California-based company Skyeports is leading the project, with CEO Dr. Martin Bermudez optimistic about the potential for entire moon cities, interconnected by these glass domes.
The team at Skyeports isn’t confining their aspirations to the Moon alone; they envision these ‘lunar glass’ structures being deployed throughout space in the future.
“You will never replicate Earth, but this is something that gets pretty close, and we could even put them into orbit one day,” expressed Dr. Bermudez.
He further commented, “Space has always been kind of fascinating for me, and my background was as an architect so I had the chance to start exploring how we can build structures on the Moon or Mars.”
Bermudez was captivated by lunar regolith, the dust, rock, and mineral fragments found on the Moon, and contemplated its potential as a structural material.
“I was originally told ‘well glass is too brittle, it’s gonna break’ so I started reaching out to scientists and realised it can be adapted and become something stronger than steel,” he continued.
“I contacted NASA a almost two years ago and they really loved the idea from the beginning.”
To realize these constructions, astronauts would gather regolith and process it in a microwave furnace to form glass bubbles, with scientists working on a unique glass made from polymers.
Advancements in this area are crucial for the project’s success, as they aim to enable the bubbles to ‘self-heal’ and endure the harsh conditions of the Moon’s terrain.