Architecture students design habitats for human life on Mars
Imagine living on Mars — a planet with no breathable air or available drinking water.
It’s not as far off as you might think.
In fact, the first human expedition could be as soon as 2033. That’s why University of Calgary students are designing livable colonies for our neighbouring planet.
“We’ve reached a point on Earth where we have affected our environment in such a significant way that it’s becoming clear that it may not be sustainable,” said Jessie Andjelic, the instructor of the class RED: A New Beginning.
“Other planets are interesting because they can provide a sort of Plan B and it also represents an exciting opportunity for humanity to extend its influence beyond our mother planet,” she said.
The U of C class comprises 12 students in the master of architecture program.
They began their exploratory project by understanding the unique conditions of Mars, which, on average, is 225 million kilometres away from Earth.
They researched differences in gravity, radiation, air, water and more. Students then began working on a model for the near future, year 2030, for four to six people.
Andjelic said one student is looking into mobile habitats, resembling an air ship, that moves above the surface of Mars for tourists.
Other students are looking at commercial habitats that mine minerals, similar to a workers’ camp, or proposing a future capital of Mars, something that could be made into a landmark if populated.
The ideas and possibilities are diverse, said Andjelic.
Unlike biologists or scientists, the role of an architect in space exploration is much different. The students are forced the think about the psychological and sociological conditions of a functional aircraft.
U of C chancellor Robert Thirsk, a former astronaut, said students “have to design a spacecraft that can help astronauts maintain their psychological edge.”
A common area to dine with crew members, a place for inhabitants to do hobbies like painting or recording videos for their children on Earth and places for astronauts to be alone must all be considered.
“One of the best things that I had aboard the International Space Station (in 2009) was a window,” Thirsk said with a chuckle.
“To just take half an hour a day to think about the big picture of humanity, the research we’re doing and the benefits that we might provide to civilization — that time for reflection is what every human being needs.
“If you neglect that, you can have a breakdown.”
The students’ work has the possibility of extending beyond the classroom, shaping the future of human exploration on Mars. People won’t be able to explore until there’s a solution, said Thirsk. Projects like this are one of the first steps.
Human existence on Mars exceeds just exploration, it could mean survival.
“If there was a calamity or a catastrophe on the planet, we wouldn’t want all of humanity to die off in an instant,” said Thirsk. “We need to have humans elsewhere.
“Humanity is destined to move further into the solar system and into the galaxy and populate other places."