Lucas Demeo
Pronouns: he/him
Research Mentor(s): Vyta Pivo
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Architecture / AUP
Program: UROP
Session: Session 7 (4:40pm – 5:30pm)
Authors: Lucas De Meo, , Vyta Pivo
Abstract
The Circular Economy is a sustainable economic model intended to maximize the use of all resources in a production process. The goal is to reuse or recycle all materials to create minimal to no waste, so that all materials are in a constant cycle of use rather than consumption. This model has many real-world applications; however, this project focuses on its practicality for space colonization. Currently, many challenges face humanity when looking to colonize a distant planet, such as finding long-term sustainable sources of Oxygen, Water, and food. Space is not human-friendly, and innovative techniques must be implemented to build a “home away from home.” In addition, humanity faces another challenge of finding a practical way to create permanent infrastructure on another planet. Only a certain amount of materials can be transported from Earth at a time, which is why humanity must find creative ways to either reuse the materials at its disposal, or exploit the materials that space has to offer. The study aimed to create a functional model for a space colony based on circular economic principles. Viability was measured through the success of the created models’ ability to sustain life and implement circular economic principles. The procedure started by gathering basic information about the Circular Economy, then investigating its biological and finite applications for space colonization. Finally, a model was created based on the data gathered. This research project targets scholars and general academia who are interested in the sector of space colonization. Microsoft Excel and Powerpoint were utilized for data analysis and presentation, while the UMich Library database was used to gather research sources. In summary, this project aimed to find creative solutions to the challenges facing space colonization, utilizing Circular Economic principles. Although humanity is still a ways away from colonizing outer space, this model laid the foundation for future academia to extend humanity’s lifespan outside Earth’s confines.
