Craterhab; From Concept to Reality

https://youtu.be/bOiysrWwtec?si=NlQZuhKSbRdvJtub

First proof of concept pressure testing of a Cratehab benchtop prototype at Karachi Space Observatory, Pakistan (17 Oct 2025).

This is a major milestone in our technology development for Martian habitats and for high-altitude terrestrial environments.

This is a 1m-diameter Nylon-TPU fabric composite dome, made up of adjoining composite polygons for optimal stress distribution on the structure. Kevlar could be more ideal as the dome fabric, but due to the difficulty in procuring aramids in Pakistan, Nylon-TPU composite was chosen.

The maximum inflation pressure achieved in this first testing was +2.4 bar, with a sustained pressure of +2.0 bar, which is at at least 3x - 4x safety factor for the Martian habitats with +0.6 bar inflation pressure. 

So, how much is +2.4 bar pressure? To put it into perspective, it is equivalent of the weight of 12 large SUVs over the dome surface area of 1.5 sqm trying to blow it apart from inside.

Big hand to Muhammad Mehdi Hussain (CTO, Mareekh Dynamics) and his team of engineers for this remarkable feat of engineering.

This successful demonstration will pave our way for the construction of larger Craterhab MVPs such as the 10 m diameter prototype project in Australia, and our pilot project at high-altitude sites in Chile.