NASA supports using fungi to build homes on the Moon and Mars

NASA has allocated $2 million to a pioneering project called “Mycotecture Off-Planet,” led by the Ames Research Center team, which aims to develop habitats on the Moon and Mars using fungi. This innovative approach involves a compact, lightweight structure filled with dormant fungi that can be revived and grown into livable spaces by simply adding water. This method could potentially bypass the challenges and costs of transporting bulky construction materials from Earth.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized the need for new technologies as NASA ventures further into space than ever before, stating, “As NASA prepares to explore farther into the cosmos than ever before, it will require new science and technology that doesn’t yet exist. NASA’s space technology team and the NIAC programme unlock visionary ideas – ideas that make the impossible, possible.”

The Mycotecture project has successfully created prototype bricks made of mycelium combined with yard waste and wood chips. These bricks have undergone extensive testing in a planetary simulator, and the research team has prepared comprehensive designs for a mycelium-based lunar habitat.

The project not only focuses on building structures but also on creating a self-sustaining ecosystem. It integrates cyanobacteria, which utilize sunlight to generate oxygen and nutrients that support the growth of the mycelia. In turn, the mycelia provide a solid and protective environment that offers radiation shielding for astronauts.

John Nelson, NIAC Program Executive, remarked, “Mycotecture Off Planet exemplifies how concepts can change how we envision future exploration missions. As NASA embarks on the next era of space exploration, NIAC helps the agency lay the necessary groundwork to bring innovative visions to life.”

This research holds promise not only for future space missions but also for advancing sustainable living practices on Earth.