National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

NASAfacts

Habitat Demonstration Unit – 

Deep Space Habitat 

Even in space, there’s no place like home crew size and best operations conceptions 

for exploration. NASA can then use the Regardless of what surface they’re knowledge as we expand our presence to exploring, at the end of a long day collecting new destinations, like asteroids, near-Earth 

geological samples or performing scientifi c objects, Lagrange points, the moon, Mars or experiments, astronauts need a base of Mars’ moons. 

operations to return to. NASA architects, 

engineers and scientists are already busy Building a space habitat to maintain good 

creating exactly that – sustainable, space- physical and mental health during longbased living quarters, workspaces and duration space missions is critical to longlaboratories for next-generation human term exploration. Incorporating “smart” 

spaceflight missions. The knowledge gained habitat systems and safety features to 

from NASA’s rich spaceflight history, as mitigate the effects of the hazardous 

well as low Earth orbit projects, such as the natural environment, supplying adequate 

International Space Station, is being used air and water, providing waste disposal and 

in conjunction with Earth-based analog recycling, regulating temperature, preserving 

research from the Desert RATS (or Research food supplies and accommodating physical 

and Technologies Studies) tests in Arizona exercise are all issues that must be 

to identify and evaluate the most effi cient addressed to allow humans to perform 

combination of systems, the optimum deep space missions. 
NASA is preparing for future space travel by 

developing new intelligent operating systems and 

hardware. To assess new technologies, NASA has 

brought together the Habitat Demonstration Unit 

(HDU) Project to develop habitat confi gurations for 

testing and evaluation. The HDU Project provides 

flexibility in testing and evaluating architectural 

configurations and mission operations concepts for 

possible destinations, as defined by NASA’s Human 

Spaceflight Architecture Team. The project employs 

a multi-center team – led by NASA’s Johnson Space 

Center – that pulls together resources, people and 

skills to contribute to this unique project. 

Testing for space on terra fi rma 

NASA is now testing its second habitat architecture 

concept – the Habitat Demonstration Unit–Deep Space 

Habitat, or HDU-DSH. The module will be placed in 

space-like locations and situations, called analog 

environments, so that engineers and scientists can 

test multiple concepts for operations and technologies 

simultaneously. 

Providing a common platform for multiple NASA centers 

to synergize their technology advances, the DSH 

allows for the comparison of competitive operations 

concepts and technologies, and incorporates “green 

engineering” approaches. Advanced habitation systems 

tested in the DSH will ultimately be tested in future fl ight 

demonstrations. 

But first, the HDU-DSH itself will be put through carefully 

controlled test at the Johnson Space Center, and then in 

the Arizona desert, where the arid climate, harsh winds and 

rocky terrain provide a fitting analog for extra-planetary 

surfaces in the annual Desert-RATS tests. 

Featured work stations being tested in the DSH this year 

include the Geo-Lab (upgraded from the previous version) 

and the addition of a Tele-Robotics workstation, with which 

to test control of robotic assets on an asteroid. 

Flexible and benefi cial 

NASA’s current plan for exploration calls for a “fl exible 

path” approach, in which humans would visit sites 

never visited before and extend our knowledge of how 

to operate in space, while traveling greater and greater 

distances from Earth. These deep space missions will 

have less Earth-based support available within realtime communications range and will require a level of 

crew and mission autonomy greater than has ever been 

experienced in human spaceflight. This also facilitates 

the development of many new technologies that could 

benefit daily life and the environment on Earth, as future 

space travel destinations are investigated. 

NASA is developing advanced “intelligent” habitation 

systems that will reduce the need for crew and ground 

control monitoring and maintenance by means of 

software, controls and embedded smart sensors. This 

Integrated System Health Management will provide the 

crew with automated systems capable of self-diagnosis 
and reconfiguration when it is required. These sensors 

will also provide resources only when occupants are 

present, going into quiescent mode when no one is in 

the habitat, much like “green” buildings here on Earth. 

And by implementing intelligent design choices and 

effective resource management, and by choosing 

environmentally smart applications, an intelligent 

building – or habitat – can balance living space, power, 

resource management and human productivity to 

maximize its overall efficiency, even after the crew 

arrives. Mastering these challenges could make dense 

urban living here on Earth more aesthetically desirable. 

In addition, the habitat will be used to evaluate the 

feasibility of a design approach called logistics-to-living, 

in which the packaging and logistics systems used to 

deliver supplies in space are recycled and repurposed 

into useable elements of the habitat or laboratory, such 

as furniture, outfitting and partitions. Finding new and 

innovative ways to recycle can increase the health of 

our planet and create new industries. 

Technologies to support safe and effi cient space 

habitats, with variable environmental conditions, have 

already been used here on Earth to foster low-carbon 

footprint, net-zero energy buildings. Some of these 

technologies are being tested in at NASA’s Ames 

Research Center as a pathfinder. NASA wants to use 

these technologies in building new Leadership in 

Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifi ed offi ce 

buildings at other NASA Centers. This approach to 

“intelligent” buildings can be used for other government 

buildings, private industry and homes, greatly reducing 

operating costs. 

Specifi cations 

Non-Flight Shell: Eight composite fi berglass, resin-infused 

sections from a single mold, supported by large, C-shaped 

steel ribs 

Structure: Cylindrical with a vertically-oriented axis, on top 

of a 13.8-foot square cradle 

Volume: 5,230.1 cubic feet (148.1 cubic meters) in two 

levels 

Size: 16.4 feet (5 meters) inner diameter; 10.8 feet (3.3 

meters) high, total (6.6 feet barrel height with two 2.1-foot 

end domes on top and bottom) 

Features: Inflatable loft, two docking ports, one hygiene 

module and one dust mitigation module/airlock 

HDU-DSH Technology to be Tested at D-RATS 2011 

NASA must advance the following technologies to become 

even more efficient, more self-sustaining to support future 

travel off-planet. Testing conducted in the DSH will move 

these types of technologies forward, for use on Earth as 

next-generation “green technology,” as well as in space. 

1. 	Inflatable X-Loft (X-Hab Competition) 

2. 	Tele-Robotics Workstation 

3. 	Logistics-to-Living 

4. 	 Autonomous Ops: “Intelligent” Habitat System 

Management Software 

5. 	 iHab Digital Double (D2) 

6. 	 Power Generation & PM&D Systems 

7. 	 Environmental Protection Technologies 

A. 	 Dust Mitigation Technologies 

a. 	Electrodynamic Dust 

b. 	Lotus Coating 

c. 	 Vent Hood Maintenance Workstation 

8. 	 HDU Core Computing, Wireless Communication and 

RFID 

9. 	 Standards-based Modular Instrumentation System: 

Wireless Sensor Nodes 

10. Flat Surface Damage Detection system 

11. MMOD Hab impact monitoring system 

12. General Maintenance/EVA Workstation 

13. Medical Ops/Life Science Workstation 

14. Geo-Science Lab Glovebox/Workstation 

15. Material Handling 

16. Food Production: Atrium concept 

17. 3-D Layered Damage Detection System for Surfaces 

18. Habitability / Habitation 

19. Hygiene Module 
For online users, click and drag over 

the graphic below to view the habitat 

at different angles. 

Find the interactive version at 

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/ 

analogs/hdu_project.html 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center 

Houston, Texas 77058 

www.nasa.gov 

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