First Human Martians Might Live in Inflatable Donuts

SpaceX and Boeing are currently working with NASA to develop powerful transporters that may be able to send humans into deep space including Mars. After reaching the red planet, the next thing to worry about is their habitat. With that, the first Martians could live in inflatable donut-shape domes made out of ice.

Just like the space station, astronaut-turned-Martians will spend months at a time on the red planet during missions. Therefore habitation is vital in the survival on Mars.

Not only will the habitat serve as a shelter, it should be sturdy enough to protect astronauts from radiation and the harsh environment on Mars, according to a report. This calls for the most reliable materials.

Scientists and engineers are now exploring the possibility of using donut-shaped domes to house astronauts that will be staying on Mars. Aside from the shape, scientists at NASA's Langley Research Center are looking at one potential material - ice that will be the main component of the proposed Mars Ice Dome or Ice House

"After a day dedicated to identifying needs, goals, and constraints we rapidly assessed many crazy, out of the box ideas and finally converged on the current Ice Home design, which provides a sound engineering solution," Langley senior systems engineer Kevin Vipavetz, facilitator for the design session said in a press release.

The proposed home is the donut-shaped design and an inflatable tube in order to transport it easier from Earth to Mars. Scientists also believe that ice makes for a better shield against cosmic radiation.

"All of the materials we've selected are translucent, so some outside daylight can pass through and make it feel like you're in a home and not a cave," Langley Mars Ice Home principal investigator Kevin Kempton said in the same report.

Experts are still working on other potential models that might help preserve the lives of the first batch of Martians for the upcoming Journey to Mars.