Digital Cellular Solid Pressure Vessels: A Novel Approach for Human Habitation in Space

Abstract: It is widely assumed that human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit will require vehicles capable of providing long duration habitats that simulate an Earth-like environment – consistent artificial gravity, breathable atmosphere, and sufficient living space- while requiring the minimum possible launch mass. This paper examines how the qualities of digital cellular solids – high-performance, repairability, reconfigurability, tunable mechanical response – allow the accomplishment of long-duration …