Ideas worth spreading

Adventures of an interplanetary architect

1,284,242 views |

Xavier De Kestelier |

TEDxLeuven

• November 2016

How will we live elsewhere in the galaxy? On Earth, natural resources for creating structures are abundant, but sending these materials up with us to the Moon or Mars is clunky and cost-prohibitive. Enter architect Xavier De Kestelier, who has a radical plan to use robots and space dust to 3D print our interplanetary homes. Learn more about the emerging field of space architecture with this fascinating talk about the (potentially) not-too-distant future.

How will we live elsewhere in the galaxy? On Earth, natural resources for creating structures are abundant, but sending these materials up with us to the Moon or Mars is clunky and cost-prohibitive. Enter architect Xavier De Kestelier, who has a radical plan to use robots and space dust to 3D print our interplanetary homes. Learn more about the emerging field of space architecture with this fascinating talk about the (potentially) not-too-distant future.

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxLeuven, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

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About the speaker

Xavier De Kestelier

Xavier De Kestelier

Architect, technologist

See speaker profile

Xavier De Kestelier is an architect and technologist with a passion for human space exploration.

Andy Weir | Broadway Books, 2014 | Book

Before we started NASA’s Centennial 3D printing competition, I gave each of my team members a copy of this book. Andy Weir’s novel is very factual and sticks extremely closely to what is scientifically possible. The book was a great reminder that as architects we can indeed imagine and design future space habitats that are scientifically accurate without having to go into wild science fiction references.

Raymond Loewy | Overlook Books, 1995 | Book

Industrial Design

Raymond Loewy was one of the most important industrial designers of the 20th century. He was the first major industrial designer to be involved with NASA’s space program and worked on the design of Skylab where he famously proposed a window and a table in the space station. These were elements that the NASA engineers not deemed to be necessary on a space ship. Raymond Loewy brought a human perspective into the design of space stations.

Peter Eckart | McGraw-Hill Primis Custom Publishing, 1999 | Book

The Lunar Base Handbook: An Introduction to Lunar Base Design, Development, and Operations

If you are ever thinking to design anything on the moon, this book will become your bible. Although the subject is very technical it is extremely clearly written so that non space engineers such as designers and architects can get their head around the complex and extreme environment of the moon.

S. Wilkinson, J. Musil;, J. Dierckx, I. Gallou, X. De Kestelier. | Acta Futura, 2016 | Article

"Concept Design of an Outpost for Mars Using Autonomous Additive Swarm Construction"

This paper gives a detailed perspective on the thinking that went on behind the design of the Mars Habitat. I think it is important to mention that throughout the design we were consulted by space robotic specialists Astrobotic, Prof. Penelope Boston at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and John Eager of the British Antarctic Survey.

A. Scott Howe | American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics, 2009 | Book

Out of This World: The New Feld of Space Architecture

Scott Howe is probably one of the only people that can really call himself a space architect, as he has a Phd in both architecture and engineering. If you are interested in space architecture, this is probably the first book you should grab.

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This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxLeuven, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.