LOCATION: Space
STATUS: Concept
COLLABORATION: Patrick Faulwetter (Conceptual Artist)
AREA: 30sq. mi.
The Petricolonizer is the first design technology capable of growing a human-occupiable environment in space. Humanity has always stood in awe of the stars with a desire to explore the far reaches of space. Our understanding of space has continued to grow as technology has advanced, yet the biggest challenge of pioneering space is the extreme cost, consumption, and pollution it requires to leave earth.
Scientists are starting to look towards nature to find the technology that will help us overcome the challenges of space colonization. In 1991, scientists made a major discovery that is the key to solving this problem. This discovery was shockingly made as a result of one of the worst disasters in modern history, Chernobyl. After sending robots into Chernobyl, scientists were surprised to find a specific type of fungi thriving on the radiation, which they named Radiotrophic Fungi. These fungi use the pigment melanin to eat radiation which, in turn, causes them to grow rapidly in a process called mycoremediation. Furthermore, it was later discovered that radiotrophic fungi are capable of thriving in space. There is an infinite amount of solar radiation in space, and scientists have realized that they can now tap into this unlimited energy source to grow massive fungi structures at very low costs.
Fungi have countless uses that can aid space colonization. Our project focuses on the Petricolonizer, an infrastructure created to harness the great potential of radiotrophic fungi. A two-mile diameter solar sail is used to focus solar radiation onto a device called Petri-One. This is a mechanism for growing fungi into organized structures by means of a metal disk that contains holes which eject fungus in locations to create solid material in desired locations. Architects and scientists are already collaborating to make fungi structures out of this masonry-like material. The end result of these radiotrophic fungi growths is a landmass used for thousands of building structures occupiable by humans. Instead of being organically grown, smaller building structures can be 3D fungi-printed with greater precision and are dropped into place with the aid of a crane. Moisture produced as a byproduct of fungi growth is frozen into an ice shield surrounding the structure and encapsulating a habitable atmosphere.
The Petricolonizer gives us the ability reach further into space than ever before. As scientists continue to grow new colonies, we will begin to live and learn more about who we are and what our purpose is in the cosmos.