An Igloo for Astronauts on Mars.

Me, "I really like this idea. Using Martian Ice to surround an inflatable Mars Habitat. It really uses the best technology at present. You use inflatable technology. like Bigelow Space is pioneering, and you extract water from Martian atmosphere? Let it freeze over, and around the habitat, like an Alaskan igloo, providing a natural radiation shield. The idea of sending this thing and it automatically inflates and fills with water ice around it is just brilliant. The only thing I am worried about is with all this ice around the habitat will there be a problem keeping warmth in? Other than that it is a great idea. But before getting your hopes up as to this being a full time solution, remember this is just a temporary place to live. An underground Mars colony is still the safest kind of colony to build because you still have Martian dust storms to deal with that can eat away at this habitat. At least underground you can build out a huge colony nestled in a safe Lava Tube."

From article, "NASA just released its incredibly cool concept for houses on Mars"(NASA researchers have a lot of problems to work through if they want astronauts to one day set foot on Mars. One of the biggest hurdles is where these early pioneers will sleep and live, and after a day of brainstorming, engineers might have come up with a solution – a conceptual 'ice home' design.

Yup, NASA is looking into creating inflatable domes covered in ice for astronauts to live and work in, providing them with protection from extreme temperatures and high-energy radiation.

So what exactly is an 'Ice Home' anyway? Well, though the name invokes images of igloos, and that mental image isn't all that far off, the concept NASA’s working out – officially called Mars Ice Home – is an inflatable, inner-tube-like device that, when inflated fully, is covered with a thick sheet of protective ice.

The Mars Ice Home design has several advantages that make it an appealing concept. It is lightweight and can be transported and deployed with simple robotics, then filled with water before the crew arrives," the team says.

"It incorporates materials extracted from Mars, and because water in the Ice Home could potentially be converted to rocket fuel for the Mars Ascent Vehicle, the structure itself doubles as a storage tank that can be refilled for the next crew."

The major goal of the Ice Home concept is to protect astronauts from high-energy radiation, such as cosmic rays, that can penetrate the Martian atmosphere. These rays can damage cells, raising the risk of a slew of health concerns such as cancer and acute radiation sickness.

One of the best ways for humans to survive on Mars, the team says, is to burrow underground, which offers the best protection from all of the harmful things on the surface.

To do that, though, some sort of shelter will need to be waiting for the astronauts once they get there, and the team thinks the ice dome – with its lightweight frame, easy construction, and ability to use water materials that are already on the planet – might be the perfect solution.

"After months of travel in space, when you first arrive at Mars and your new home is ready for you to move in, it will be a great day," explains team member Kevin Kempton.

Without the inflatable habitat, which the team says can inflate and cover itself with ice extracted from the Martian landscape in about 400 Earth days, researchers would have to likely find a way to get heavy drilling and digging machines on Mars to create underground shelters before astronauts got there, a concept that would be far too complicated and cost way too much money.)