Italy-based Sabelt SpA has developed a modular system for living in space comprised of expanded polypropylene (EPP) blocks that can be configured into everything from shipping boxes to walls, floors, shelves and tables.
Called Space Bricks, the product can be assembled into containers to ship and store parts and materials and then be reassembled into new objects for space habitation hubs, moon-based buildings and space vehicles.
Space Brick are made from a lightweight, flame retardant EPP called Arpro that is recyclable and has thermal and acoustic benefits.
The EPP provides temperature stability, acts as an acoustic barrier by dampening or blocking sound, and offers good resistance to compression.
The material's structural strength means that 1 square meter of Arpro (30 grams per liter) is able to sustain the pressure of 15 tons and keep 75 percent of its initial thickness and shape, according to a Sabelt news release.
Founded in 1972, Sabelt has specialized in producing car seats for performance road cars, racing products for motor racing and seatbelts for aerospace.
The company also is a specialist for space cargo payload accommodation systems and lunar exploration mobility.
The idea for the Space Brick came out of a meeting to show motorsport equipment to space engineers and illustrate how the needs of space travel are similar to car travel.
"This project is a perfect example of how our know-how in motor sport and dealing with their extreme conditions and needs can be transferred to the space sector and adapted accordingly," Diego Cagna, Sabelt special application manager, said in the release.
Sabelt collaborated with the IES Group in Italy, a leading molder, to make the Space Brick project a reality.
The partners ability to take their technology from Formula 1 to space exploration represents a step toward new horizons for the two Italian companies, according to Edoardo Clerici, IES Group key account manager.
"Our experience has been applied in the innovative and highly technical field of aerospace, with excellent results. We are the bridge between the Arpro material and the Space Brick solution," Clerici said.
Arpro was developed by Japan-based raw material manufacturer JSP, a specialist in thermoplastic foams.