# When ancient craft meets deep space | Josh Simpson | TEDxBoston

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjfnNenFaJM
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/WjfnNenFaJM
Generated: 2026-01-08T19:32:32.571+00:00

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## Quick Overview

Glass artist Josh Simpson discusses his decades-long work creating glass art inspired by cosmology and space travel, culminating in a NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) funded study to use lunar regolith and solar power to 3D print large, transparent habitat spheres on the Moon.

**Key Points:**
- Josh Simpson has been a glass artist for over 50 years, focusing his work on themes of cosmology, astrophysics, and space travel.
- He collaborated with architect Martin Bermudez on a NASA NIAC concept study to build lunar habitats using local resources.
- The core concept involves using microwave energy to melt lunar regolith (which is about 50% silica) and flux it with calcium and magnesium to create glass.
- The process involves blowing molten lunar glass into large, spherical enclosures (habitats) that protect inhabitants from the Moon's extreme temperature swings (-250°F to +250°F) and radiation.
- The resulting glass sphere provides structural integrity, thermal insulation, and allows for natural light exposure, unlike dark soda-lime glass which contains iron that causes a green tint.
- The proposed habitat design is a multi-story vertical structure inside the sphere, featuring living spaces, civic areas, and farming areas, all powered by solar arrays.
- Simpson references the extreme environment of the Moon, noting that without a spacesuit, exposure results in instant death due to vacuum and temperature extremes.

![Screenshot at 01:12: The speaker details the hostile lunar environment, pointing out that the Moon has no atmosphere, no clouds, 1/6th Earth's gravity, and temperature swings of nearly 500 degrees Fahrenheit, emphasizing the necessity of protective structures.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/WjfnNenFaJM/00-01-12.jpg)

**Context:** Josh Simpson, a glass artist with over 50 years of experience, presents his ambitious concept for creating permanent human habitats on the Moon using in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). This concept, which won a NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) study award, aims to turn lunar dust (regolith) into large, transparent glass spheres that can shield future colonists from the harsh lunar environment, including extreme temperature fluctuations and radiation.

## Detailed Analysis

Josh Simpson, a glass artist specializing in themes related to cosmology and space travel, describes his NIAC-funded project to build self-repairing glass habitats on the Moon using lunar regolith. He explains that lunar dust is approximately 50% silica, the primary ingredient for glass, along with calcium and magnesium. The process involves using microwaves to melt the regolith and flux it into a liquid state, which is then blown into large, spherical structures, similar to how glass is traditionally blown. Simpson notes that unlike terrestrial soda-lime glass, which turns green due to iron content in the sand, the lunar glass created from this specific regolith composition would be clear, allowing for natural light inside the habitat. The proposed structure is a giant sphere enclosing a multi-tiered, vertical habitat core designed to minimize structural density while maximizing functional and social spaces, including living quarters, farming areas, and civic plazas. This habitat offers robust thermal insulation against the Moon's extreme day/night temperature swings (a swing of almost 500 degrees Fahrenheit) and protection from micrometeorite impacts and radiation. The presentation concludes with visualizations of these massive, self-sustaining lunar habitats thriving under the stars, fulfilling humanity's drive to explore and settle beyond Earth.

### Glass Art & Inspiration

- Simpson has been a glass artist for over 50 years, focusing his work on cosmology, astrophysics, and space travel
- He shows examples of his detailed glass orbs, including one featuring a coral reef motif and others depicting celestial bodies.

### NASA NIAC Project

- Collaborated with architect Martin Bermudez and others on a NASA NIAC concept study to build lunar habitats
- The goal is to use lunar regolith to create large, transparent glass spheres for colonization.

### Lunar Glass Manufacturing

- The primary component of regolith is silica (about 50%), which, when mixed with flux ingredients like calcium and magnesium, can be melted using microwave energy
- The molten glass is blown into large spheres (up to one foot in diameter, the size of a soccer ball) that can withstand lunar conditions.

### Habitat Design & Function

- The resulting habitat is a multi-layered, vertically integrated structure inside a massive glass dome, providing living, working, and farming areas
- The glass spheres offer protection from extreme temperatures (-250°F to +250°F), vacuum, and radiation.

### Historical Context & Vision

- Simpson mentions astronaut Peggy Whitson taking his glass planets into space and references the Apollo missions which brought back 140 pounds of lunar soil
- The ultimate vision is a multi-planetary future where humanity builds new homes among the stars.

![Screenshot at 00:12: A colorful, swirling glass sphere representing a cosmic or planetary object, illustrating the artist's medium.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/WjfnNenFaJM/00-00-12.jpg)
![Screenshot at 00:21: A detailed glass orb depicting a vibrant underwater scene with coral and marine life, showing the complexity of the artist's work.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/WjfnNenFaJM/00-00-21.jpg)
![Screenshot at 01:03: A highly detailed, color-enhanced image of the Moon's surface, used to illustrate the environment Simpson is addressing.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/WjfnNenFaJM/00-01-03.jpg)
![Screenshot at 02:56: An archival photo of an Apollo astronaut collecting lunar samples, setting the context for in-situ resource utilization \(ISRU\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/WjfnNenFaJM/00-02-56.jpg)
![Screenshot at 03:57: An artist's concept showing a large, reflective habitat sphere on the lunar surface, powered by solar arrays, visualizing the end goal of the NIAC project.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/WjfnNenFaJM/00-03-57.jpg)