NASA’s Wild Plan to Grow Mushroom Homes on the Moon

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NASA is preparing a plan that comes from a science fiction movie: mushroom house.

Forget dumping tons of concrete and steel into space — the space agency is betting big on fungi to build future habitats on the Moon and Mars.

With the cost of sending just one kilogram of material to the moon at a million dollars, NASA is looking for a solution that does not involve sending bricks and boards.

Forget expensive rockets loaded with heavy building materials, the space agency is betting on mushrooms to grow structures that are stronger than concrete and packed with sci-fi benefits. Courtesy of redhouse studios/NASA

Enter mycotecture – a modern method of using fungal spores and algae to literally grow structures once they land in space.

“You can’t get boards or bricks,” Chris Maurer, founder of architecture firm Redhouse, which is partnering with NASA on the project, told Al Jazeera. “So what are you going to build with?” The answer: moon dust, water and mushrooms.

The process is quite brutal.

NASA plans to send a sealed, inflated mold to the moon, where fungal spores will combine with algae and water to grow into stable structures that can withstand the moon’s extreme conditions.

These mushroom-based materials have some serious benefits, such as protecting astronauts from harmful radiation and even blocking dangerous micrometeorites.

Here’s how it works: NASA has partnered with architects to use a technique called “mycotecture.” They will send fungal spores, algae and water into space, growing habitats directly on the Moon. Courtesy of redhouse studios/NASA

“Radiation is the show stopper for any manned mission,” says Maurer. “That’s why we haven’t come back [to the moon] since the 70s.â€

He explains that the mycotexture can block over 99% of radiation with just 8 centimeters of material, compared to the 10 feet of lunar dust needed to do the same job. This is a game changer for keeping astronauts safe.

NASA’s next steps include planning to test small-scale models on the Moon by 2028 and take off from there.

These mushroom buildings can block deadly radiation, a massive obstacle to any manned mission into space. The plan isn’t just cost-effective — cutting the billions it takes to send materials into space — but it could be a real lifesaver for astronauts facing the brutal conditions of outer space. Courtesy of redhouse studios/NASA
These structures, designed to grow quickly, will provide high-level protection from radiation, extreme temperatures and even micrometeorites. Courtesy of redhouse studios/NASA

But the dream does not stop with the moon.

Mars is next on the list for these fungus-fueled homes.

“It’s almost like science fiction,” Jonathan Dessi-Olive, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina, told the paper. “They are working to have [structures] they basically cultivate themselves through collaboration with many organisms, which is super exciting.â€

Geologist James Head and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson with a myco block. Courtesy of redhouse studios/NASA

Within a few years, astronauts could be living in fully grown mushroom-based habitats, all thanks to clever biology and a lot of imagination.

NASA is betting big on mushrooms, and they may just be the key to colonizing other planets.

“It’s not exactly rocket science, but it’s close,” Maurer says.

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Image Source : nypost.com

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