PIONEERING SPACE HABITATION

Artificial Sky & Circadian Lighting

Space Oasis Delft III
Human-Centred Habitat Design

In 2025/2026 year, the team will lay the foundation for Space Oasis Delft’s multi-year ambition to design and construct a Martian habitat. In the habitat, four people will live and work for five years while their mental and physical health is maintained. The team has defined a modular base architecture, including a central module that is to be realised on Earth and will be gradually equipped with interior and life support systems, starting with the food production hydroponics system.

Inflatable Habitat Modules

Biophilic Design & Hydroponics

Ice Radiation Shielding

Artificial Sky & Circadian Lighting

Ice Radiation Shielding

Meet the Team

of SODIII

Our team consists of 10 students from a variety of different backgrounds like Architecture, Industrial Design, Engineering, Psychology & Applied Sciences. Our multidisciplinary team covers all aspects needed to make sustainable living in space possible.

Building & Prototyping

Validate and test our ideas to go from concepts to reality

Hydroponics Test Setup

Model of SODII's OUROBOROS Habitat Design

Pykrete Production

Mission Details

Considerations to Suit Long-Term Sustainable Living

From Launch to Surface
Our habitat is engineered with launch and logistics in mind, minimizing stowed volume while maximizing on-site capability. Core modules fit within standard launch fairings and are optimized for mass efficiency, enabling flexible mission architectures and incremental delivery. Once in orbit or on the surface, standardized interfaces support quick assembly, integration, and expansion as new elements arrive. Deployment sequences are designed to be simple and robust, reducing crew time and risk during critical setup phases. A modular approach also improves maintainability: components can be replaced, upgraded, or repaired without redesigning the entire system, supporting long-term operations and resupply.
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Multi-Layer Radiation Ice Shield
Inflatables allow us to create large, comfortable living volume from a compact packed system. Once deployed, a multi-layer structure provides the key protective functions needed for long-duration habitation: pressure retention, thermal insulation, micrometeoroid impact resistance, and radiation shielding. We use ice as a highly effective in-situ radiation shield, leveraging locally available resources to improve protection efficiently. The result is a habitat that stays stable in extreme temperature swings, reduces exposure during solar events, and improves overall safety without adding unnecessary mass.
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Designing for Mental Resilience Beyond Earth
Long-duration space travel challenges the mind as much as the body. Our habitat is built to reduce the most common psychological and psychosocial stressors: isolation, confinement, monotony, disrupted sleep cycles, and lack of privacy. With personal private modules, circadian lighting, noise-reduction layers, and flexible social spaces, the environment supports both recovery and connection. Integrated routines, immersive entertainment, and calming “Earth cues” (colors, textures, and biophilic elements) help crews stay focused, rested, and emotionally balanced, so performance stays high when conditions are extreme.
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The Food Supply System
Hydroponics turns the habitat into a living system—providing fresh, nutrient-rich crops year-round with minimal water and zero soil. By using a controlled nutrient cycle, we can grow leafy greens and herbs efficiently while reducing resupply needs and improving long-term self-sufficiency.

Beyond food, the hydroponics module supports crew wellbeing by improving air quality, adding natural humidity control, and creating a calming “green space” that reduces stress and boosts morale. Compact, modular, and scalable, it’s designed to fit into the habitat while maximizing yield per square meter.
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