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Design Out of This World

A glimpse at Mr. Xavier de Kestelier’s design for a human outpost on Mars shortliste­d at NASA’s 3D Printing Centennial Challenge

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Some designers create for the here and now while others take on imagined lives in space. Take architect and urban planner Mr. Xavier de Kestelier, head of Design Technology and Innovation at HASSELL. He is currently undertakin­g research with NASA and the European Space Agency where his expertise in parametric design, digital fabricatio­n, computatio­nal design, rapid prototypin­g, advanced materials, and the applicatio­n of robotics in design are put to excellent use.

A renowned academic who worked on Apple headquarte­rs, The Smithsonia­n, Museum of Fine Art in Boston, and Beijing Airport, Mr. de Kestelier has recently led HASSELL in NASA’s 3D Printing Centennial Challenge – to design human habitation on Mars – where they emerged among the top 10 participan­ts.

Calling the Challenge a “welcome opportunit­y to bring a human element into aerospace design”, Mr. de Kestelier points out that space exploratio­n design emphasizes maximum performanc­e and efficiency for technology and machines rather than for people. He espouses creating an environmen­t on Mars with high performanc­e as well as comfort and familiarit­y for the astronauts. “It’s an environmen­t where they feel safe and equipped to do the most important work in the history of space exploratio­n.”

For this project, HASSELL collaborat­es with Eckersley O’Callaghan to design an external shell, which could be constructe­d entirely by autonomous robots using Mars’ natural regolith. The robots would be sent in an unmanned rocket, possibly years ahead of the astronauts. The shell will have been

completed when the astronauts land, offering them protection from the harsh Martian elements.

Once the astronauts land, they would rapidly construct the building’s interior with inflatable ‘pods’ that incorporat­e all the living and working requiremen­ts for everyday life on Mars.

“Anything that can’t be built using Martian regolith needs to be transporte­d with the astronauts; making the size and weight of materials critical,” says Mr. de Kestelier. “With this in mind, we explored multiple types of expandable structures that are commonly used on earth to see how they might be adapted for use on Mars. We looked at everything from sports equipment to origami, to identify the most effective structure, with the final option being a modular approach.

The modules that Mr. de Kestelier designed are continuous­ly expandable. “As soon as one is occupied another can be added on. This creates the potential for ongoing expansion and the creation of a true community, rather than a series of singular structures.”

Sixty per cent of the design should have been finished by now, with the remaining components to be completed by January 2019 in time for the announceme­nt of overall winners.

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 ??  ?? THE PROTECTIVE SHELL WOULD BE 3D PRINTED USING MARTIAN REGOLITH PROTECTING AGAINST HUGE TEMPERATUR­E FLUCTUATIO­NS, COSMIC AND SOLAR RADIATION, AND MICRO-METEORITES
THE PROTECTIVE SHELL WOULD BE 3D PRINTED USING MARTIAN REGOLITH PROTECTING AGAINST HUGE TEMPERATUR­E FLUCTUATIO­NS, COSMIC AND SOLAR RADIATION, AND MICRO-METEORITES

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