Surabhi Sharma, a graduate research assistant with the UH Sasakawa International Center for Space Architecture (SISCA) and the IDEAS² Center, successfully defended her MS thesis titled “Pneumatically Deployed Non-pressurized Lunar Structures: Comparative Analysis of Rigid and Inflatable Structures.”
Her work provides a critical evaluation of structural performance, mass efficiency, and deployment strategies for lunar surface infrastructure, contributing to the advancement of sustainable space architectures.
The defense committee included representatives from NASA JSC and MSFC, as well as faculty from Arizona State University and Western Sydney University, underscoring the research’s relevance and international scope.