HABOLITH: A Habitat Built From Regolith*
01. Soil Jamming
AKA granular compression, this proven technology contributes to foil-packed coffee bricks, iRobot’s gripper hand, rammed earth construction and the patented Habolith concept.
Value proposition: Concrete-like stiffness with little or no water or binders.
02. Permanent Formwork
Formworks are typically plywood sheets that hold concrete in a fixed shape while it cures. Planetary Shelter’s patented design retains the formwork, with its exterior layer of ceramic fiber, throughout each unit’s lifespan.
Value proposition: Extra structural support plus protection from radiation, extreme weather, and gunfire.
03. Modular and Scalable
Lightweight shells can be linked as they are erected by means of a narthex bondable to the built-in openings of two Haboliths.
Value proposition: Instant villages.
04. Shrink-wrapped Shipping
To enable soil-jamming, columnar walls must be inextensible. Yet they are designed to be flexible enough prior to filling to allow compaction.
Value proposition: Low mass and volume before arriving on-site translates to reduced shipping costs.
Frequently asked questions
*What is regolith?
The term regolith refers to the dust, gravel, small rocks, and other particulate matter that cover the surface of a celestial body such as the Earth, the Moon, or Mars. It is distinguished from what we call “soil” here on Earth because the latter is biologically active. Sand is a form of regolith.
How did the Habolith concept originate?
Find out how Habolith came to be and more in these three short videos
Does science back Habolith’s claims?
Sand or regolith is already a key construction component: as an ingredient in terrestrial concrete and, on the Moon, in proposed 3D-printing techniques. Habolith’s patented use of granular compression, AKA soil-jamming, is a proven science, the basis for iRobot’s gripper hand, foil-wrapped coffee bricks, and in highway-adjacent Mechanically Stabilized Earth retaining walls.
What are the specs for the Habolith shelter?
Dimensions:
2.5 m h, 5 m diameter
19.5 square meters/ 210 s.f.
Cost:
$2,500 per terrestrial unit once mass-produced. Includes bondable flooring, integrated solar heating/cooling; retractable skylights with screens; door and narthex connector kit; outfitting with options including bedframes, shelves, storage nooks, benches, shower stalls, cubicles; and plumbing conduits and raceways for simplified connection to exterior water & power.
Shipping weight:
105 kg for formwork shell comprising fillable membranes configured as demi-globe (Igloo) or Quonset shape.
Shipping volume:
1.2 m3, vacuum-compressed (and minus sand/regolith loaded on-site)
Deployed volume:
900 kg
Deployment machinery not included above; cost will be amortized based on number of units constructed.
* All specifications and costs are estimates based on prototype materials in use and preliminary engineering studies. Initial investment will fund more detailed engineering to fine-tune shape, size and materials considerations and costs.
Is Planetary Shelter seeking investors?
Yes. Planetary Shelter LLC is in the process of converting to a Delaware-based corporation. Please use the Contact form to get in touch – or reach out directly to founder Morgan Gendel.
