Space shuttle junk gives shape to Lockheed Martin’s new habitat prototype

By Dyllan Furness Published April 2, 2021

cislunar habitat — Lockheed Martin

One of the first things astronauts will need when they head to Mars is a safe and comfortable place to live. Today’s spacecraft have tight quarters — sufficient for short trips but not so practical when the journey nears nine months one way.

But six companies are on the case, commissioned by NASA to develop living quarters for its astronauts in its Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP). Lockheed Martin recently showed off a habitat concept it is developing for the agency. A prototype of the cislunar habitat, which the company calls Deep Space Gateway, will be made of repurposed space shuttle and will soon be developed as a prototype at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Recommended Videos

“It is easy to take things for granted when you are living at home, but the recently selected astronauts will face unique challenges,” Bill Pratt, Lockheed Martin NextSTEP program manager, said in a statement. “Something as simple as calling your family is completely different when you are outside of low Earth orbit. While building this habitat, we have to operate in a different mindset that’s more akin to long trips to Mars to ensure we keep them safe, healthy and productive.”

The Deep Space Gateway will combine old elements with new, extending Lockheed Martin’s Phase I concept to Phase II, which will use mixed reality and rapid prototyping to explore the concept further over the next 18 months. The company will focus on refurbishing the Donatello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, which was used to bring cargo to the International Space Station.

“We are excited to work with NASA to repurpose a historic piece of flight hardware, originally designed for low Earth orbit exploration, to play a role in humanity’s push into deep space,” Pratt said. “Making use of existing capabilities will be a guiding philosophy for Lockheed Martin to minimize development time and meet NASA’s affordability goals.”

Despite being designed with a human crew in mind, the spacecraft will be equipped to function autonomously, as it will be left uninhabited for months on end as the crew explores the Red Planet.

“Because the Deep Space Gateway would be uninhabited for several months at a time, it has to be rugged, reliable and have the robotic capabilities to operate autonomously. Essentially it is a robotic spacecraft that is well-suited for humans when Orion is present,” Pratt said. “Lockheed Martin’s experience building autonomous planetary spacecraft plays a large role in making that possible.”

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Dyllan Furness is a freelance writer from Florida. He covers strange science and emerging tech for Digital Trends, focusing…

Cars

Hyundai’s brand new Ioniq 9 EV features backseat lounge

hyundai ioniq 9 lounge 4 single image desktop

After months of teasing details about the Ioniq 9, Hyundai’s much-anticipated, three-row electric SUV, the company finally unveiled it at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

One of the Ioniq 9’s promised features -- that the SUV had the ability to offer a lounge-like interior – had most of us wondering what exactly that might mean.

Cars

Kia America COO says ending EV tax credit would be dumb

kia coo ending ev incentive dumb zeta evs

With Kia just getting started with the expansion of its U.S.-made electric-vehicle (EV) lineup, the automaker may have a good perspective on what losing tax incentives on EVs could mean for the industry and the economy.

The transition team of the incoming Trump administration is reportedly planning to end the federal $7,500 tax credit on the purchase or lease of an EV. Under the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), an EV made in North America is eligible for the incentive.

Cars

Mercedes bets solar paint is part of EV-charging future

mercedes solar paint evs benz electric camper

It’s been said that Albert Einstein’s genius came from his ability to freely wonder and ask child-like questions way before he even tried applying science-based solutions.
It seems some within the R&D department at Mercedes-Benz might be similarly inspired. The German automaker is currently developing a special solar paint that, when applied on the surface of vehicles, can harness enough energy from the sun to power up EVs.
The energy generated by the paint’s solar cells can be used for driving or fed directly into a high-voltage battery.
“The photovoltaic system is permanently active and also generates energy when the vehicle is switched off,” Mercedes says. “In the future, this could be a highly effective solution for increased electric range and fewer charging stops.”
The layer of paste to be applied on EVs is significantly thinner than a human hair, yet its photovoltaic cells are packed full of energy. Covering the surface of a mid-size SUV with the paint could produce enough energy for up to 7,456 miles per year under ideal conditions, Mercedes says.
This does imply being in geographic locations with plenty of sun hours during the day.
But even with less-than-ideal sun hours, the energy yielded can make a significant difference to EV charging. Mercedes says the solar-paint charge could provide 100% of needed energy for an average daily drive of 32 miles in sun-drenched Los Angeles. In much less sunny conditions -- such as around Mercedes’ headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany -- it would still yield enough energy for 62% of the distance.
An added bonus for environmentally-conscious drivers: Unlike some solar panels, the solar paint contains no rare earth or silicon – only non-toxic, readily available raw materials. It’s also easy to recycle and considerably cheaper to produce than conventional solar modules, Mercedes says.
The likes of Aptera, Sono Motors, Lightyear, and Hyundai have also been researching how to best harness solar energy to power up EVs.
But that’s been mostly through solar panels yielding enough energy for small and light vehicles, such as Aptera’s three-wheel solar EV. Solar paint could bring solar charging for bigger vehicles, such as electric SUVs, Mercedes says.