Deep Tech Briefing #7: Expandable habitats to settle on the Moon and Mars, Advanced Hydrogen-Powered Airships; Advancing Nuclear Fusion with QI Stellarators and more...
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In today's briefing, we delve from expandable habitats facilitating space colonization to hydrogen-powered airships revolutionizing logistics. From nuclear fusion's potential for clean energy to AI-driven drug discovery and semiconductor materials tailored for the AI era, each segment highlights the cutting-edge endeavors driving progress in their respective fields. These developments not only highlight the dynamic nature of the deep tech landscape but also underscore the profound impact these technologies are poised to have on our everyday lives and the global economy.
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1. Real estate in space? These expandable habitats could help humanity settle on the Moon and Mars
In the realm of space exploration, the current shortage of habitable space presents a significant barrier to ambitious missions, including long-term habitation and interplanetary travel. A pioneering US space startup, Max Space, has introduced a groundbreaking solution to this issue with its stadium-sized, expandable habitats. At the recent MARS Conference hosted by Jeff Bezos, Max Space showcased a full-sized prototype of its Max Space 20 module, demonstrating the practical application and potential of their technology.
Designed to be compacted during launch and expanded once in orbit, this expandable habitat technology promises to usher in a new era of space living, crucial for the sustainability of extended space missions. This approach not only drastically increases available space post-deployment but also offers a competitive advantage in logistics and cost-efficiency. The technology's core benefit lies in its scalability, which could eventually accommodate structures larger than a typical sports stadium in space.
The first deployment of this technology is scheduled for 2026 aboard a SpaceX rocket. Max Space envisions these habitats as versatile environments that could support farming, tourism, and even sports events in space. Highlighted during the 39th Space Symposium, the expandable design emphasizes its potential to foster low Earth orbit (LEO), lunar, and Martian colonies.
However, the technology faces significant challenges, particularly when scaling up to larger sizes. Founders Aaron Kemmer and Maxim de Jong, leveraging their experience from previous ventures such as Thin Red Line Aerospace, are addressing these technical and economic hurdles. Their past projects with inflatable space structures have proven the durability and effectiveness of such technologies, providing a robust foundation for their current endeavors.
Financially, the project is