This paper presents the principle design of tensegami structure to provide an agricultural area on Mars. As the research about Mars exploration and habitation has become popular, several trials have been conducted to build habitats or agricultural space on Mars. However, transporting construction machines and materials from Earth to Mars is limited because of the spaceship's limited space. Moving materials needed to construct architectural structures from Mars to Earth requires lots of space and weight in the spacecraft. Current research suggests building space using 3D printing construction, which needs a heavy extra-large scale 3D printer. As a solution to this problem, we propose the novel design system—‘tensegami’ which combines tensegrity and origami as a fundamental unit of agricultural structures. Tensegami uses rods as tension part and membrane components as compression parts. One agricultural space consists of multiple tensegami unit geometries. 

 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784483374.089

Design and Development of Geodesic Dome Structure with Tensegrity for Martian Agriculture

Due to challenges with COVID-19, this 17th Biennial has been moved to April 2021 and will now be offered in a virtual format. This conference aims to bring the experience and knowledge of experts in the aerospace industry together to share and discuss the latest research and engineering techniques that effect the exploration and settlement of space. Presentations will be made in multiple concurrent symposia over three days. Topics will include: Granular materials in space exploration, Exploration in utilization of extra-terrestrial bodies, advanced materials and designs for aerospace and terrestrial structures under extreme environment, Structures in challenging environments, and Space engineering, construction, and architecture for Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Paper Proceedings: https://ascelibrary.org/doi/book/10.1061/earthandspace2021