SOM has entered the interplanetary market as plans for a new space habitat prototype have been unveiled thanks to a collaboration with a team from the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre at the University of Manchester.
Anticipating a future demand for infrastructure in space, SOM aims to develop a 2D scalable model with the potential to be made commercially available in the next five to ten years using robotics that can manufacturer complex shapes using an array of advanced materials like graphene.
“As architects, our role is to combine and integrate the most innovative technologies, materials, methods and above all the human experience to designing inhabited environments,” SOM senior designer Daniel Inocente said in a statement. “Conducting research using graphene allows us to test lightweight materials and design processes that could improve the efficacy of composite structures for potential applications on Earth and future use in space.”
Manchester has been an innovator in the development of the material that was first discovered there by Sir Andre Geim in 2004. Working from its relatively new digs provided by Jestico + Whiles, the Centre has been able to produce world-firsts in building with the ultra-lightweight material, including an A1 road surface, car, and concrete slab thanks to the efforts of researchers like Vivek Koncherry.
Now, with the space mandate beside it, SOM and the Graphene Centre will look to further innovations using the technology whose adaptations they say will be seen first terrestrially before blasting off for other, much less hospitable planets.
“The work being led by Dr Koncherry and his colleagues is taking the development of new composites and lightweight to another level,” Graphene @ Manchester CEO James Baker said. “By collaborating with SOM there are opportunities to identify applications on our own planet as we look to build habitats that are much smarter and more sustainable.”
8 Comments
Let’s try fixing our problems on earth first. We’ve got a lot of unsolved mysteries down here!
#rickitect
I have strong disagreements with this sentiment. Difficult goals, like space travel, may seem frivolous but they create many peripheral technological advances that have practical applications on earth. Our progress on earth is dependent upon technological advances, as it’s always been. This idea that we can solve big problems like climate change through activism and cutting back alone is out of sync with the complex reality of our civilization. Space travel helps us push technology to its limits, and helps to recruit the brightest next generation of scientists.
Yes, the usual argument - improving tech for setting outlandish goals.
Yes, the usual argument - improving tech for setting outlandish goals.
looking forward to seeing the value engineered version of this
There’s an exceptional example of this on the Netflix show “Love, Death & Robots” Episode 11: “Helping Hand”. Where the space ships are basically junk, and the systems for control
are poor.
there are 3 basics, we humans need to live, no matter where.
air
water
sunlight
mankind has not been able to do so without air, water, sunlight on earth.
why would living in space be any different ?
add soil
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