###### Abstract  
In the past two decades, various space agencies have shown great enthusiasm for constructing habitable structures on lunar and Martian surfaces. Consequently, several extraterrestrial structures have been proposed by different researchers. Nevertheless, only a small number of those structures are energy-efficient and cost-effective. In this research, a comprehensive review of the proposed extraterrestrial structures has been conducted. The objective is to evaluate different habitat construction techniques from technical, economic, and energy-consumption perspectives. To carry this out, different proposed structures are elaborated, and their advantages and limitations are discussed. The primary focus is on the 3D printing technique, which has demonstrated significant potential in automated manufacturing tasks. From the conducted research, it was found that the combination of 3D-printed components along with an internal breathable inflatable module is the most promising technique for habitat development on the Moon and Mars. Moreover, the microwave sintering method was identified as the most energy-saving and reliable approach for melting the on-site regolith for use in the 3D printing process. This survey has applied a multidisciplinary approach to evaluate the most energy-saving planetary construction techniques that are economically crucial for different private or government-funded space agencies. space exploration; extraterrestrial habitat; 3D printing; regolith; inflatable structure; regolith sintering; space transportation cost; lunar outpost; Martian outpost; Artemis mission +
Footnote †: journal: Physics Letters B  
1
Footnote 1: email: _Applied_  
Footnote †: journal: Physics Letters B  
Gateway as a staging point for crewed missions. Moreover, the Artemis program aims to accomplish the significant milestone of sending the first woman to the Moon. These missions, among others, represent significant milestones in the human journey towards planetary habitation, pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and capabilities in our quest to expand beyond Earth. From the perspective of engineering challenges, it appears that three main categories of uncertainties have postponed the rapid development of habitable outposts on remote planets: unfavorable extra-terrestrial physics, risky characteristics of the regolith soils, and uncertain construction techniques. In the following paragraphs, these three factors are described. The potential of habitability on a specific planet is substantially intertwined with its dominating physics rules [8]. Gravity, ambient temperature, atmospheric pressure, magnetic field, surface radiation, and seismic events are the most influential factors with respect to the suitability of human habitation on a specific planet. Such physics-based factors are very mankind-friendly on Earth; however, on distant planets, physics rules can be challenging for human life, either completely or partially. Years of space exploration missions have revealed that two promising planets, the Moon and Mars, may someday be occupied by human generations if physics requirements are addressed by technology. Since an adequate understanding of lunar and Martian physics is essential for developing reliable habitats, a dedicated broad description is provided in Section 2.1 to elucidate the effect of such physics-based challenges on outpost development. Lunar and Martian outposts can be entirely constructed regardless of whether they are on the planet's surface or underground. Alternatively, the outpost can also be constructed using a combination of both surficial and subsurface modules. The most frequent propositions have been surficial outposts, which are less complex than underground ones. Lunar and Martian surfaces are covered by a fine-grained abrasive soil known as regolith [9]. Some characteristics of the regolith can positively contribute to the development of a prospective human outpost, while at the same time, they may impede the construction process with formidable obstacles.