Soon you can test a cabin designed for Mars right here on planet Earth

Martian architecture has come a long way—the habitable future of the red planet is all about new materials, imaginative forms, and cutting edge concepts.

If it’s good enough for the atmosphere of Mars, it’s safe to assume that it’s good enough for Earth. That’s the thinking behind Tera, a high-tech eco cabin that’s modeled after a Martian habitat.

AI SpaceFactory designed the cylindrical cabin after Marsha, its concept for a Mars-ready dwelling that won first place in the final phase of NASA’s 3D-printed Mars Habitat Challenge. The luxury eco-cabin takes what was novel about the Marsha and reformatted it for Earth.

AI SpaceFactory

For starters, the terrestrial version is made from the same material: a 3D-printed biopolymer basalt composite that’s made from corn and sugar cane waste. AI SpaceFactory says the material is up to 50 percent stronger than concrete and reduces construction waste.

Tera will be smaller than Marsha and more porous. Diamond-shaped windows fill one side of the egg-shaped pod, with the other side remaining opaque. Inside, the circular living space has a small kitchen, living room, and bathroom. A set of curved stairs leads up to a bedroom.

The pod will sit along the Hudson River in upstate New York when it’s finished. Right now, interested travelers can prebook a stay on Indiegogo for when it opens in March 2020.

AI SpaceFactory