The last few art devlogs have focused on the development of the Hab. This week we would like to switch gears and turn your attention to another structure located within Foundation Base, the Greenhouse.
Work in progress for exterior modeling and texturing. Click to enlarge.
The Greenhouse will be connected to both the Habitat and the Laboratory with a pressurized walkway made out of a similar inflated plastic seen here.
Since Mars has less of an atmosphere than Earth, a structure pressurized to Earth’s atmosphere on Mars will attempt to expand outward. The Greenhouse was designed to be smooth and spherical in shape in order to reduce the number of weak points caused by this expansion on the plastic. The base of the structure will be buried in a mound of Martian dirt with buttresses along its length for reinforcement.
Inside the Greenhouse there will be plenty of room to walk about and observe the various plantlife used for experimentation.
Work in progress for interior modeling and texturing. Click to enlarge.
There will even be a few areas set up with computers and microscopes where you can learn more about the procedures and results documented by the Hermes crew.
Now that we have the exterior shape essentially complete, we will continue designing the interior with plants, lighting, ventilation, and watering systems. We also plan on adding a few exterior components for temperature regulation and electrical lines that would be routed through the Greenhouse walls. There’s still plenty to be done, but the Greenhouse is on its way to becoming a fully-functioning part of Foundation Base. Check back for more updates on its progress next month.