Difference between revisions of "Dome"
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| − | [[File:Small colony trees3b.jpg|thumb|600x600px|Large domed habitat. Any number of designs are possible, but | + | [[File:Small colony trees3b.jpg|thumb|600x600px|Large domed habitat. Any number of designs are possible, but designs need to take into account the larges forces created by the air pressure in the dome.]] |
Geodesic domes on mars are a staple of the Mars settlement imagery. | Geodesic domes on mars are a staple of the Mars settlement imagery. | ||
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Glass and metal domes are also rather poor for radiation protection. However, they might be excellent parks and leisure areas. Many authors have proposed ice domes, that offset the vertical force from the air pressure by the mass of the ice, with the added benefit that thick ice is an excellent radiation shielding material. NASA Langley has conducted research on the subject<ref>https://www.nasa.gov/feature/langley/a-new-home-on-mars-nasa-langley-s-icy-concept-for-living-on-the-red-planet</ref>. NASA has also sponsored 3D printing contests in which some proposals have used ice for construction<ref>http://www.marsicehouse.com/habitat</ref>. | Glass and metal domes are also rather poor for radiation protection. However, they might be excellent parks and leisure areas. Many authors have proposed ice domes, that offset the vertical force from the air pressure by the mass of the ice, with the added benefit that thick ice is an excellent radiation shielding material. NASA Langley has conducted research on the subject<ref>https://www.nasa.gov/feature/langley/a-new-home-on-mars-nasa-langley-s-icy-concept-for-living-on-the-red-planet</ref>. NASA has also sponsored 3D printing contests in which some proposals have used ice for construction<ref>http://www.marsicehouse.com/habitat</ref>. | ||
| + | [[File:Mars-Ice-House Dusk+01 lr.jpg|left|thumb|600x600px|Mars ice house. Winner of the 2015 NASA 3D printing competition. Image by Clouds AO.]] | ||
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| + | === References === | ||
| + | <references /> | ||
Revision as of 17:11, 12 June 2019
Geodesic domes on mars are a staple of the Mars settlement imagery.
There can hardly be an image of a Mars settlement without a dome in in, separating a green interior from the bleak red surface of Mars.
Domes on Mars need to be anchored against the internal air pressure. At ten tonnes per m2, large domes exert tremendous vertical pressure on the point where the dome meets the ground.
The vertical force is equal to the dome area above the ground. So a 100m dome covers 50x50xpi()m2=7853m2. The vertical force for such a dome will be 78 000 tonnes.
Glass and metal domes are also rather poor for radiation protection. However, they might be excellent parks and leisure areas. Many authors have proposed ice domes, that offset the vertical force from the air pressure by the mass of the ice, with the added benefit that thick ice is an excellent radiation shielding material. NASA Langley has conducted research on the subject[1]. NASA has also sponsored 3D printing contests in which some proposals have used ice for construction[2].
