October 2015
How to 3D-print a habitat on Mars
..., to have a much higher density than any sintered material. This would have considerable benefits for radiation shielding in the surface environment. The permeability of basalt stone is also superior to that of a sintered process, which is often...
April 2025
Strapped for success - from racetrack to orbit
... to compression, has ballistics properties and can be used for thermal and acoustic insulation, and potential radiation shields – all of which is generating interest among potential space customers. These additional characteristics have elevated EPP...
May 2026
Mars exploration – the nuclear option
... engineering challenges remain, particularly in the areas of nuclear safety, in-space reactor deployment and long-duration radiation shielding, the architecture demonstrates a core feasibility: that a 55-day Mars mission is not only possible, but...
February 2019
Simulating lunar and martian regolith in the laboratory
... manned missions. For instance, some of the ESA simulants have been used for plant growth experiments, radiation shielding tests and 3D printing capabilities. A building block weighing 1.5 tonnes has already been made via 3D printing of a simulant...
April 2026
Rethinking the spacesuit as a biological system
..., and the solution often proves valuable on Earth. In parallel, Star Helix is exploring melanised mycelia as a lightweight radiation-shielding material, alongside biomimicry-inspired suit components designed for rapid field servicing. While these...
February 2019
The challenge of procreation for future off-world settlers
... tunnels, possibly bored from the walls of a crater to allow sufficient radiation shielding. By living in ‘normal’ gravity with sufficient shielding and only being exposed to the external environment for specific work and research, the health and...
