By 
July 15th, 2024
Image credit: Skyeports
What happens when you mix an architect with material, electrical, mechanical, aerospace and software specialists – but then blend in a glass blower?
“We are a pioneering space architecture and engineering company at the forefront of shaping the future of interplanetary living,” explains the Skyeports website. “We integrate the principles of robust structural design, advanced materials, and state-of-the-art technologies to ensure the highest level of protection and resilience for our interplanetary structures.”
At Skyeports, the group is diving into innovative use of space composite materials, including advanced glass composites. “Our designs are meticulously crafted to provide a secure and adaptable living environment for our explorers.”
Image credit: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Positive results
Martin Bermudez is the CEO of Skyeports, telling Inside Outer Space that they are currently working on prototyping hardware in vacuum conditions at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. Also being used is a NASA facility to test the behavior of the engineer glass compounds in one-sixth gravity field, like that offered by Earth’s Moon.
“We have already done some computer thermal, fluid, mechanical, and chemical modeling analysis of the types of glass that we intend to use, with very positive results so far,” Bermudez adds.
Image credit: Skyeports
Simple and challenging
The group applied this past month for a NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program grant. The fingers-crossed hope is to garner early seed funding to further develop the idea, said Bermudez.
That Skyeports idea is very simple and challenging at the same time.
“During our research, we have found out that glass is going to be a major advancement in material science soon,” Bermudez points out. “We’re currently exploring how glass blowing, a traditional technique, could be adapted for use on airless planets and moons.”
While encouraged by their research, there are many challenges ahead. But the concept holds great potential for creating large glass structures using available, local materials found on other worlds.
Image credit: Skyeports
Plasma furnace
“Our plan involves designing a smart, possibly autonomous microwave plasma furnace on Earth, then deploying it on the Moon,” Bermudez says.
This furnace would be used to create a series of concentric glass spheres, providing protection against radiation, heat, micrometeorites, dust, and lunar quakes for extended lunar stays.
“The innermost living sphere called ‘The Nest’ will be designed to be protected by a couple of spheres filled with regolith to provide radiation protection,” Bermudez explains. Also on the research table, he says, is how to engineer one glass type that could potentially produce energy using sunlight to power the entire habitat.
On the Skyeports website, it’s made clear that the challenges of space exploration require audacious thinking and novel approaches.
“By harnessing the immense wealth of materials and energy found beyond our planet, we ensure the sustainability and self-sufficiency of future space missions.”
For more information on Skyeports, go to:
Posted in Space News
