---
title: "NASA Wants to Grow a Moon Base Out of Mushrooms"
description: "An experimental NASA program is tinkering with the idea of building a Mars or Moon base out of living mushrooms that astronauts would grow onsite."
date: "2020-01-16"
modified: "2020-01-16"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-grow-moon-base-mushrooms"
categories:
  - "Astronomy"
  - "Moon"
  - "NASA"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "fungus"
  - "moon base"
  - "NASA"
  - "space"
  - "the digest"
---

# NASA Wants to Grow a Moon Base Out of Mushrooms

![An experimental NASA program is tinkering with the idea of building a Mars or Moon base out of living mushrooms that astronauts would grow onsite.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/nasa-grow-moon-base-mushrooms.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: 95C/Gerd Altmann via Pixabay/Tag Hartman-Simkins\</em\>*

## Shroom Base

NASA scientists are exploring a peculiar strategy for building a Moon base and other off-world structures: growing them onsite out of living mushrooms.

The space agency [first considered](<https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/niac/2018_Phase_I_Phase_II/Myco-architecture_off_planet/>) the possibility of fungal space habitats in 2018, but now scientists are conducting tests to determine how well mycelia fungus might grow in Martian soil, *[Space.com](<https://www.space.com/nasa-fungus-moon-mars-bases-niac-technology.html>)*[ reports](<https://www.space.com/nasa-fungus-moon-mars-bases-niac-technology.html>). If the research pans out, it would allow future astronauts to construct off-world settlements without needing to carry expensive, heavy building materials with them all the way from Earth — a game-changer in the plan to colonize space.

## Fungus Among Us

The idea is to ship dormant fungus to a Moon base and, once it arrives, give it water and the right conditions to trigger growth, according to a [NASA press release](<https://www.nasa.gov/feature/ames/myco-architecture>). That would also require a supply of photosynthetic bacteria to provide the fungus with nutrients. Once the fungus grows into the shape of a structure, it would be heat-treated, effectively killing it and turning it into a compact brick.

"Right now, traditional habitat designs for Mars are like a turtle — carrying our homes with us on our backs — a reliable plan, but with huge energy costs," lead researcher Lynn Rothschild said in the release. "Instead, we can harness mycelia to grow these habitats ourselves when we get there."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxj79jtM1cI

**READ MORE:** [Moon 'shrooms? Fungi eyed to help build lunar bases and Mars outposts](<https://www.space.com/nasa-fungus-moon-mars-bases-niac-technology.html>) \[*Space.com*\]

**More on living materials:** [*Scientists Create "Living Concrete" That Can Heal Itself*](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/scientists-create-living-concrete-heal-itself>)

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)