Scaling from coupons to panels
The radiotrophic effect must hold from lab coupons to full panels. We de-risk with staged coupon, subscale and full-scale testing at Brookhaven and on the ISS.
Overview
One grown material replaces three payloads.
A melanized, radiotrophic fungal strain is seeded into a lightweight scaffold shipped flat. Adding water and local regolith lets it grow into a rigid structural shell around the habitat frame.
Brookhaven
Proton reduction
>99%
at 3 in. of myco-composite
ISS flight data
Attenuation
2.4%
by a layer under 2 mm thick
NASA scale
Readiness
TRL 4
of 9: component-level data exists
Inside the shell
How the shield protects the crew.
Cross-section
Radiation absorbed, lower dose inside
01
Ship flat
A seeded scaffold travels as a compact, lightweight kit.
02
Add water and regolith
Local regolith and water become the growth substrate.
03
Grow the shell
Mycelium binds regolith into a rigid composite shell.
04
Shield and recycle
Melanin converts radiation; the network filters water and waste.
Why it matters
The case in numbers.
Radiation
Dose versus limit
One Mars mission delivers about 68% more than NASA's proposed career limit. Source: Curiosity RAD instrument; National Academies space radiation report.
Mass
Thickness for scale
Both figures are modelling results from different studies (NASA/ISS modelling; bioRxiv 2020), drawn to scale and not a like-for-like test.
Three jobs
What one organism does.
01
Radiation shield
Melanin absorbs and converts incoming gamma and proton radiation into chemical energy, the same mechanism seen in fungi thriving inside the Chernobyl reactor.
02
Structural habitat
Mycelium binds regolith into a rigid composite. It is grown to fit, so there is no pre-built shell to launch.
03
Water and waste processing
The mycelial network filters water and breaks down waste streams, the way terrestrial mycoremediation already does at scale.
Beyond space
A terrestrial spin-off.
The same grown mycelium composite is a sustainable construction material. Licensing it to terrestrial builders captures value independent of any space contract.
01
Agency contracts
Milestone-based development and flight-demo contracts with space agencies, building on NASA's own NIAC investment in the underlying science.
02
Habitat licensing
Recurring licensing of structural-shell and shielding material to commercial LEO stations and lunar module builders.
03
Terrestrial materials
Out-licensing the grown mycelium composite into sustainable construction, with no space contract required.
Any world
Wherever there is regolith: the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The shield grows from what is already there.
3 worldsone grown shield
Roadmap
Staged proof.
Programme
Coupon, subscale, orbit, pilot
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3+
MycoShell
Ground and small orbital coupon tests
ISS National Lab structural and shielding demo
Lunar Gateway or commercial station pilot
Radioprotective probiotic
Parked at TRL 1: advances only if MycoShell milestones are funded ahead of schedule
Risks we plan for
Honest about what could go wrong.
Growth in microgravity
Growth rate and strength could vary across gravity regimes. Early ground and parabolic-flight testing comes before any crewed-habitat commitment.
Agency timelines
Procurement cycles are slow. The terrestrial licensing track diversifies revenue so it does not depend on agency timing.
Questions
MycoShell FAQ.
How thick is the shell?
Thickness will depend on destination and mission. NASA-tested composite cut proton radiation by more than 99% at 3 inches, and modelling projects a roughly 1 m fungal-regolith composite could bring Mars surface dose to Earth-normal levels.
Is the organism alive in the finished wall?
The shell is grown from a living strain; how long and in what state it remains active is part of the staged testing programme.
What about the Moon or Jupiter's moons?
The approach is regolith-based, so the same biology is a candidate for any destination with usable regolith. Each destination needs its own testing.
Let's build the next shield together.
Space agencies, station builders, research institutes and sustainable-construction partners: we would like to hear from you.