With NASA's plans to carry out long-duration missions to Mars and the Moon, novel habitat research focusing on fungus space homes could come in handy for explorers in the future.
This concept focuses on habitat-growing efforts, specifically with the use of fungi.
NASA To Advance Space Habitat Research
The work, which is led by senior research scientist Lynn Rothschild, will specifically focus on developing the technology of the Mycotecture Off Planet project to prepare for a future demonstration mission.
Researchers from NASA's Ames Research Center will be granted funding under the NIAC (NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts) program of the agency. This would be done in order to forward their novel habitat research.
The Phase III award involves offering $2 million worth of funding in the course of two years.
Working under this award would enable the team to optimize the properties of the material. It would also allow them to work towards conducting tests in a low-Earth orbit.
Future project applications may cover integration into lunar missions and commercial space stations.
Habitat Research: Fungus Space Homes
Though some habitats, like rovers and landers, will be brought to the surfaces of planets, the team behind the mycotecture project is working on technologies that could potentially "grow habitats" on Mars, the Moon, and other surfaces.
It will specifically focus on using fungi as well as undeground threads, called mycelia, that make up the fungi's main part. Such developments may enable explorers to move around with a compact habitat of lightweight material that contains fungi that is dormant.
The addition of water could potentially enable fungi to grow around such a framework to create a fully functional human habitat. This could be achieved while maintaining safe containment to avoid environmental contamination.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson explained that as the agency prepares to go farther into the cosmos, it would necessitate novel technology and science that still do not exist. Such novel research could also be a stepping stone for NASA's Artemis program as experts prepare to return to the Moon to learn, live, create, invent, and move to Mars and beyond.
Walt Engelund, the associate administrator for Programs in NASA Headquarters' Space Technology Mission Directorate, explained that they are committed to the advancement of technologies for housing explorers, transporting astronauts, and facilitating crucial research.
The novel project could allow unique materials with mutliple purposes for construction in space. This could help save resources and reduce mass to focus on other priorities of missions.
The technology's proof of concept has been previously shown through NIAC awards. The team was able to come up with various mixes of fungal-based biocomposites and test materials within a planetary simulator, fabricate prototypes, evaluate certain enhancements, and draft in-depth lunar habitat designs based on mycelium.
NIAC Program Executive John Nelson explained that the fungus space home project shows how advanced ideas and concepts could alter how future exploration missions are envisioned. The agency aims to change what is possible by offering support to infant space technology research that could see groundbreaking revolutions in the future.
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