To survive the Red Planet

One day in the near future, astronauts will explore Mars and other planets in our Solar System. These planets however are extremely hostile environments with no air, food and very little water. Staying alive will require an advanced “space house” capable of supplying everything the astronauts need to survive.

The aim of the 'Self-deployable Habitat for Extreme Environments' (SHEE) project is to develop a prototype habitat capable of supporting a crew of two humans for periods of up to two weeks in duration. While the initial prototype habitat will only be used here on Earth, elements of the design could one day be used in disaster areas, the arctic, or even on Mars!

In space or here on Earth, the bigger something is, the more expensive it is to transport. Therefore the SHEE will be able to pack itself into a smaller package for shipping, and then unpack automatically on reaching its destination. When deployed the SHEE will measure approximately 5 metres in diameter and provide all of the food, water, hygiene, environmental control and living space the occupants will require.

During the first year of the SHEE project a number of designs were studied and the most promising habitat design was selected for further work. 2014 saw the design reviewed by a panel of experts from Europe, USA, and Japan before entering into production. In the final year of the project the habitat structure has been completed and is now being outfitted with all of the systems necessary to support human life.

The working prototype will be tested extensively before the end of the project in December of 2015. After completion the habitat will be made available to the European scientific community for further study. Although the initial prototype will only be designed to work on Earth, the European designers envision a habitat based on this design may one day land on Mars!