Integrating life support systems into 3D-printed extra-terrestrial habitat envelopes

When designing and constructing habitats on Mars, one of the main challenges is the extreme environment, which lacks a breathable atmosphere and atmospheric pressure, and is characterized by extreme temperature fluctuations and high radiation levels. The habitat is situated within a lava tube, providing natural shielding from radiation, micrometeoroids, and extreme temperature fluctuations. This challenge is addressed in TU Delft’s Rhizome 2.0 project by integrating a Life Support System (LSS) into the envelope of a Martian habitat to maintain the necessary environmental conditions for human survival. The research explores the integration of the LSS into the approximately 1.5-m-thick building envelope that is constructed from prefabricated 3D-printed Voronoi-based components that interlock and are assembled on-site by a swarm of rovers and human assistance where needed. The integration is implemented by structurally analyzing the envelope to generate a point cloud of stress data. Based on the stress concentrations and LSS conduit path lengths, a single objective optimizer determines the shortest routes for the LSS conduits while avoiding high stress concentrations. This results in a structurally optimized building envelope with strategically incorporated branching negative spaces that accommodate the LSS infrastructure.