After over 50 years since humans moonwalked, NASA is now plotting homes on the moon — talk about one giant leap for home-kind!
NASA and the U.S. Air Force have invested over $70 million to collaborate with ICON, a construction company, to build futuristic homes on the moon for astronauts and civilians by 2040.
According to a report by the New York Times, ICON has sought the expertise of architects from both the Bjarke Ingels Group and SEArch+ (Space Exploration Architecture) to draft concepts and designs using 3D printing technology in order to create what so far looks like pineapple-shaped homes with tons of technology inside.
NASA plans to send a 3D printer to the moon that will build structures layer by layer using specialized lunar concrete made from moon rock fragments, minerals, and dust, the report states.
“We’ve got all the right people together at the right time with a common goal, which is why I think we’ll get there,” Niki Werkheiser, NASA’s director of technology maturation, told the Times. “Everyone is ready to take this step together, so if we get our core capabilities developed, there’s no reason it’s not possible."
While it’s in the early planning stage, Project Olympus aims to assist NASA by enabling longer stays on the moon, with construction expected to begin within the next two decades.
