BOXABL, a company known for its foldable housing solutions on Earth, has unveiled a conceptual off-world habitation system called the UFO (Unidentified Folding Object). Designed to tackle the unique challenges of transporting and deploying livable structures beyond Earth, the concept leverages BOXABL's foldable building intellectual property to allow habitats to launch in a compact configuration and then expand into larger living spaces after deployment.
The concept was featured in the company's recently released video, “LIVE ON THE MOON (Part 1) - UFO by BOXABL.” According to BOXABL, the UFO was developed by an after-hours skunkworks engineering team and is intended to support future lunar and planetary settlement scenarios. The modular, linkable structures could be used for research, tourism, and support operations. The company also indicated it plans to make the UFO intellectual property available on a royalty-free basis to encourage broader innovation in off-world habitation systems, while emphasizing that the project remains separate from its core mission of advancing housing affordability and construction efficiency on Earth.
The announcement comes as space agencies and private companies increasingly focus on establishing a permanent human presence on the Moon and Mars. BOXABL's concept could provide a scalable solution for creating living spaces that are compact for transport but spacious when deployed. The foldable design, already proven in the company's Earth-based Casita unit, could significantly reduce the volume and mass of habitats sent into space, lowering launch costs and enabling larger structures.
BOXABL's flagship product, the Casita, is a 361 square foot studio unit that unfolds on-site in less than an hour. The company also offers the Baby Box, a 120 square foot unit built to RV code, and is developing stackable and connectable models for larger configurations. While the UFO concept is distinct from these Earth-focused products, it builds on the same core technology of folding structures.
By making the UFO intellectual property available royalty-free, BOXABL hopes to accelerate innovation in space habitation. The company's move could lower barriers for other organizations working on lunar or Martian habitats, fostering collaboration and rapid iteration in the field. For more details on the UFO concept, the full press release is available at https://ibn.fm/opOWs.
BOXABL, founded in 2017, has attracted worldwide attention for its approach to solving housing challenges. The company's modular building systems aim to deliver affordable, high-quality homes quickly. Information about BOXABL and its investor relations can be found at https://www.boxabl.com/ir.
This announcement highlights the potential for terrestrial housing technology to find applications in space exploration, as the line between Earth-based and off-world construction continues to blur.
