NASA's NIAC Grants Funding for Blown Glass Lunar Habitats and SpaceX Adjusts Crew-10 Launch Date

NASA has awarded a Phase I grant from its Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) to Dr. Martin Bermudez of Skyeports for his design of a spherical lunar habitat made of blown glass. The habitat aims to provide living and working spaces for multiple individuals. The design utilizes argon gas to inflate a glass lattice structure, incorporating titanium or aluminum for added strength. Lunar regolith would serve as the primary material source. Multiple glass layers with argon in between would protect the habitat from micrometeoroid impacts. Bermudez envisions similar structures for Mars and asteroids. NASA and SpaceX have agreed to reschedule the return of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft. Wilmore and Williams have been in orbit for over six months and will remain longer than initially planned due to delays encountered during the development and testing of the new Crew Dragon capsule. Their extended stay has allowed them to join the crew of the first Starliner mission. The launch of Crew-10 will be pushed back as a result. Originally scheduled for no earlier than February 12, the Crew-10 launch date will be adjusted. The capsule Endurance, previously flown in space and reserved for the Ax-4 mission, will be used for the Crew-10 mission. Suni Williams stated in an interview with CBS News on July 7 that she felt "practically at home" on the ISS, emphasizing the station's provision of necessities and comfort. NASA and SpaceX are working to mitigate risks associated with new hardware.