Building glass bubbles on the Moon? This is NASA’s idea that could change the future of space exploration since it would allow human beings to live there. Astronauts would be living inside these huge transparent glass bubbles made with lunar dust, instead of heavy materials from Earth. These structures, which are similar to huge glass balloons, could become the first human colonies on the Moon.
The idea is part of the program NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) which boosts futuristic ideas thought to make life out of Earth possible and sustainable. So, let’s learn more about this idea.
Homes out of lunar dust
Sending building materials from Earth to the Moon costs a lot of money and is very difficult. So, NASA scientists decided to use the materials that already exist on the Moon — a mixture of dust, rocks, and minerals called lunar regolith. This gray material covers the Moon’s surface, and engineers found that it can be melted and shaped into strong, glass-like structures. Using this method, they could build huge glass bubbles large enough to hold astronauts, laboratories, and even small communities on the Moon.
Who is behind this idea? It was developed by Skyports, an American space engineering company founded by Dr. Martin Bermudez.
How the glass bubbles are built
The process of the construction of these bubbles is interesting: they would start collecting small fragments of natural glass from the lunar surface and, then, melting them using a special microwave furnace designed to work in extreme environments. When melted into a thick liquid that can be shaped into big bubbles that become hard, transparent domes when they cool down. This way they are strong enough to protect people from radiation and space debris, which (you might agree with me) is key to be able to live on the Moon.
Skyports has already tested this idea on a small scale, but they want to make them bigger. So, if they want to make them bigger and stronger, how would they achive that? Well, the team is thinking on mixing the lunar glass with metals such as titanium, magnesium, and calcium; which will help the bubbles resist micrometeorite impacts and small moonquakes.
Living in the glass bubbles
Inside these clear glass domes, almost everything could be made with 3D printers using materials from the Moon. Astronauts could print walls, furniture, and tools directly where they live, so they wouldn’t need to bring so many things from Earth.
Solar panels placed on the outside of the glass bubbles would collect sunlight and turn it into clean energy to power lights, air systems, and other equipment.
Some designs also include layers of glass walls that help control temperature and humidity to grow plants inside, giving astronauts fresh air and food. They would have the basic needs to live.
Importance of the project
These Moon bases would not only host astronauts but could also serve as testing grounds for future Mars colonies. The technology of building glass bubbles could one day help humans live in space or on other planets.
A new chapter for human exploration
If this project is successful, human beings could work, sleep, and breathe inside these glass bubbles made of lunar dust. So, we would be closer to a new era in space exploration: a future when glass bubbles become the homes of tomorrow under the endless moonlight. Can you imagine one day working on the Moon and do everything we do on our daily life? That would be something out of a science-fiction movie that many people have thought at some point on their lives. Would you like to experience that type of life?