AssetID: 54657939
Headline: RAW VIDEO: Solar Skyscraper For The Moon: Ambitious 3D-Printed Solar Tower Could Be The Solution For Energy On The Moon
Caption: Plans have been revealed for a solar skyscraper that could supply energy on the Moon. NASA is joining forces with UK architecture studio Foster + Partners and 3D printing specialists Branch Technology to develop the groundbreaking 50-metre-tall solar tower designed to power lunar infrastructure at the Moon's South Pole. The pioneering project, supported by NASA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I program, aims to create a sustainable energy source for future Moon bases. The tower, which will be constructed using 3D-printing technology, features a spiral-shaped structure with fold-out solar panels. These panels will unfold from the tower's top platform, harnessing solar energy to support critical power and communication systems. The project’s main goal is to provide a permanent energy source for scientific missions and settlements on the Moon, ensuring long-term sustainability. Foster + Partners is no stranger to space-focused designs, having previously worked on 3D-printed, habitable structures intended for extraterrestrial environments. "The science fiction fantasies and inspirations of my youth are the project realities of today,” said Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman of Foster + Partners. He continued, explaining that designing for space pushes the boundaries of innovation, creating groundbreaking solutions not only for space exploration but also for Earth's sustainability. "The technologies and materials developed for space exploration can revolutionize how we build and live in harsh climates, making our planet more resilient and sustainable." A scale model of the innovative solar tower is currently on display at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, as part of Foster + Partners' 'From Earth to Space and Back' exhibition, which will run until April 2025. The exhibition is designed to spark visitors’ imaginations, offering a glimpse of the future where humans have ventured beyond Earth to Mars and beyond, driven by the technologies that are changing life as we know it. The solar tower’s design is optimised for autonomous construction, a key feature for extraterrestrial projects where human presence will not always be possible. Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, offers the additional advantage of utilising lunar regolith—dust and rocks from the Moon's surface—to create the materials needed for construction. This drastically reduces both the cost and complexity of transporting materials from Earth. Irene Gallou, Senior Partner at Foster + Partners, said, "For over a decade, we have been working with the latest technologies – and industry-leading collaborators – to design extra-terrestrial habitats and explore opportunities for life in space." The exhibition at the Kennedy Center also ties in with NASA's preparations for its next mission to return humans to the Moon, where projects like this tower will play a critical role in the creation of sustainable, permanent lunar habitats. The design of the solar tower, complete with its sail-like arrays of solar panels, was presented alongside other space-related projects in the 'From Earth to Space and Back' exhibition, which also showcases past ideas like Foster + Partners' 2013 Moon habitation proposal.
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