Self-Assembling Space Habitat Mock-Up Offers an Opportunity for Visitors to See Themselves In the Future of Space Exploration
CAMBRIDGE, MA. and SEATTLE, WA, Aug. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aurelia Institute, a non-profit space architecture R&D lab, education and outreach center, and policy hub dedicated to building and scaling humanity’s future in space for the explicit benefit of life on Earth, and The Museum of Flight, one of the largest air and space museums in the world, announced today that Aurelia’s TESSERAE Space Habitat Pavilion will be part of the Museum’s Home Beyond Earth exhibit from September 30th, 2024, to January 19th, 2025.
TESSERAE (Tessellated Electromagnetic Space Structures for the Exploration of Reconfigurable, Adaptive Environments) is a self-assembling space habitat concept designed to expand living space in orbit. The structure consists of electromagnetically connected hexagonal and pentagonal tiles that can be flat-packed for launch and autonomously assembled in space. The TESSERAE platform is designed to be modular and customizable, allowing for interior living space optimized for comfort and community rather than basic survival.
Visitors to the Pavilion will experience a full-scale, 20-foot by 24-foot mock-up of a TESSERAE module.
“TESSERAE represents a new way of thinking about space habitat design,” said Ariel Ekblaw, CEO and Co-Founder of Aurelia Institute. “We’re moving beyond early space stations’ confined, utilitarian spaces. Our vision is to create expandable, reconfigurable habitats that can grow with the mission needs. Larger and more adaptable environments will support a broader range of scientific and commercial activities and provide the comforts of home, fostering long-term human presence in space. These elements will be essential as the human population working and living in space becomes more diverse and expansive.”
The concept of breaking bread in space is central to the exhibition, highlighting the importance of food and communal dining in maintaining people’s well-being in space. As part of this concept, Aurelia Institute has designed specific features that visitors can see during the exhibition. One of these is the “Green Vault,” an aeroponics system for growing fresh produce in microgravity, a potential solution for future space inhabitants to cultivate their own food. Visitors can also observe a functional zero-gravity sous-vide cooker and fermentation orbs, showcasing approaches to nutritious and flavorful food preparation in weightless environments. These elements address the practical aspects of space cuisine and highlight the role of shared meals in building community and maintaining morale among crew members.
Beyond the food-related features, the exhibition showcases other crucial aspects of space living. Algae-filled panels that look like stained glass demonstrate a potential method for generating breathable air. For storage solutions, visitors can see nature-inspired phyllotaxis patterns for efficient space utilization. Movement and repose in zero gravity are addressed through sea anemone-inspired inflatables and hand-knotted nets, providing both functional and aesthetically pleasing solutions for navigation within the habitat.
“We’re thrilled to have the TESSERAE Pavilion as part of our Home Beyond Earth exhibit and for our visitors to experience Aurelia Institute’s groundbreaking concept in physical space at real scale,” said Geoff Nunn, Adjunct Curator for Space History and exhibit developer at The Museum of Flight. “With the Home Beyond Earth exhibit, we want to get to the heart of what the human experience of living in space will be like, and that future is rapidly approaching. How we are thinking about these designs today will inform what our experience in space will be like tomorrow.”
The Museum of Flight’s Home Beyond Earth exhibit explores the challenges and innovations in long-duration space habitation and features contributions from various space agencies and private companies. Visitors can expect to see prototypes of advanced life support systems, virtual reality simulations of space environments, and interactive displays explaining the physics of space travel and habitation. The exhibit runs until Jan. 19, 2025, and is included with museum general admission.
About Aurelia Institute
Aurelia Institute is a non-profit space architecture R&D lab, education and outreach center, and policy hub dedicated to building and scaling humanity’s future in space for the explicit benefit of life on Earth. We are focused on space station designs that democratize access to orbit, that enable entirely novel biotech in microgravity for revolutionary drugs and healthcare, and that offworld heavy industry to help Earth recover as a garden planet. This new organization was spun out of Dr. Ariel Ekblaw’s research lab at the MIT Space Exploration Initiative.
About The Museum of Flight
Founded in 1965, the independent, nonprofit Museum of Flight is one of the largest air and space museums in the world, annually serving over 600,000 visitors. The Museum’s collection includes more than 160 historically significant airplanes and spacecraft, from the first fighter plane (1914) to today’s 787 Dreamliner. Attractions at the 23-acre, 5-building Seattle campus include the original Boeing Company factory, the NASA Space Shuttle Trainer, Air Force One, Concorde, Lockheed Blackbird and Apollo Moon rockets. In addition to the Seattle campus adjacent to King County International Airport, the Museum also has its 3-acre Restoration Center and Reserve Collection at Paine Field in Everett (not currently open to the public).
With a foundation of aviation history, the Museum is also a hub of news and dialogue with leaders in the emerging field of private spaceflight ventures. The Museum’s aviation and space library and archives are the largest on the West Coast. More than 150,000 individuals are served annually by the Museum’s onsite and outreach educational programs. The Museum of Flight is accredited by the American Association of Museums, and is an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.
CONTACT: Janine Liberty Aurelia Institute [email protected] Juan Avila JDI for Aurelia Institute [email protected] Ted Huetter The Museum of Flight [email protected]
- DATA BREACH ALERT: Edelson Lechtzin LLP Is Investigating Claims On Behalf Of Avis Rent A Car System LLC Customers Whose Data May Have Been Compromised - September 10, 2024
- ANI Pharmaceuticals Provides Update on Closing of Acquisition of Alimera Sciences - September 10, 2024
- Tim Lamb Group Brokers Sale of Forest City Mazda in London, Ontario to Leavens Automotive Group - September 10, 2024
