Cosmic Homes

Blog written by Dr. Thais Russomano, Scientific Director, InnovaSpace

An interplanetary journey still seems to be a distant dream. Space agencies and private companies seek to solve the problems that still plague scientists on the ground: how to minimize the effects of cosmic radiation and the lack of Earth's gravity on a voyage to Mars?
The designer Thomas Missé, however, is not concerned about the health of the astronauts on a mission to the red planet - this worry he will leave to the space physicians. For Missé, what matters are the furniture and decoration of the houses on Mars, when one day human beings inhabit our cosmic neighbour.
One of the most recent works of Missé is a Martian chair. Made of carbon fibre, it is lightweight and compact. The idea is based on a simple calculation. It costs around 5 thousand euros to transport 1 kg of weight into space, therefore, a chair weighing just 500 grams unquestionably presents a great advantage.

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Missé also took into account the Martian hypogravity environment. Mars has a lower mass than our planet, which generates a smaller gravitational force than found on Earth. Anyone who weighs 90kg here will weigh just 34kg on Martian soil. Considering this, Missé offset the legs off his chair design by 8 degrees, claiming this will give greater stability in reduced gravity.
The areas of space architecture and design have seen increasing growth as greater thought goes into how to create space environments for Lunar and Mars habitats. Extraterrestrial homes and furniture will need to combine strength, functionality, comfort, low weight and small size - quite a challenge!
And there is yet another key ingredient that must be added. These dwellings will need to be more than just houses - they will need to be homes - cosmic homes for astronauts!
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(English translation of an article originally published in Portuguese in the newspaper Diário Popular Pelotas)