Mars Dune Alpha and LUNARK: Designing Homes as Life Support for Space
On October 19, 2025, NASA initiated its second CHAPEA mission at the Johnson Space Center, where crew members Ross Elder, Ellen Ellis, Matthew Montgomery, and James Spicer will reside in Mars Dune Alpha. This 1,700-square-foot habitat, created by BIG and 3D printed by ICON, is designed to replicate life on Mars until October 31, 2026. The crew will experience a 22-minute communication delay and face limitations on resources. The habitat includes private sleeping quarters, workspaces, and areas for growing food. Similar concepts were previously tested by SAGA Space Architects' LUNARK in Greenland in 2020. Additionally, the European Space Agency's MELiSSA project is investigating closed-loop life support systems. For lunar construction, Foster + Partners and ESA are proposing a 3D-printed regolith shell, while NASA and ICON are working on the Olympus system.
Key facts
- NASA's CHAPEA mission 2 began October 19, 2025, with crew Ross Elder, Ellen Ellis, Matthew Montgomery, and James Spicer.
- Mars Dune Alpha is a 1,700-square-foot habitat designed by BIG and 3D printed by ICON.
- The crew will remain in the habitat until October 31, 2026, simulating Mars conditions with a 22-minute communication delay.
- SAGA Space Architects' LUNARK habitat was deployed in northern Greenland in 2020 for a 60-day isolation test.
- LUNARK's interior includes private sleeping pods and programmable light panels to create artificial day-night cycles.
- The European Space Agency's MELiSSA project develops closed-loop life support systems that recycle waste and CO2.
- Foster + Partners and ESA proposed a lunar base with a 3D-printed regolith shell over an inflatable module.
- NASA and ICON are developing the Olympus construction system to use lunar and Martian resources for building.
- The article is part of designboom's MODES OF HABITATION chapter.
Entities
Artists
- Ross Elder
- Ellen Ellis
- Matthew Montgomery
- James Spicer
- Sebastian Aristotelis
- Karl-Johan Sørensen
Institutions
- NASA
- Johnson Space Center
- BIG
- ICON
- SAGA Space Architects
- European Space Agency
- Foster + Partners
- designboom
Locations
- Houston
- United States
- Greenland
- Mars
- Moon
- Krasnoyarsk