BOXABL, a company known for its foldable modular homes on Earth, has unveiled a conceptual habitat designed for lunar and planetary settlements. Dubbed the UFO (Unidentified Folding Object), the system leverages the company's foldable building intellectual property to create structures that can launch in a compact form and expand into larger living spaces after deployment. The concept was developed by an after-hours skunkworks engineering team and is featured in the company's video “LIVE ON THE MOON (Part 1) — UFO by BOXABL.”
The UFO habitat is intended to address key challenges of transporting and deploying livable structures beyond Earth. According to the company, the modular, linkable structures could support future research, tourism, and support operations on the moon and other planets. BOXABL also announced plans to make the UFO intellectual property available on a royalty-free basis to encourage broader innovation in off-world habitation systems. The company emphasized that this project remains separate from its core mission of advancing housing affordability and construction efficiency on Earth.
BOXABL’s core business focuses on transforming the housing market with modular building systems designed to deliver affordable, high-quality homes at unprecedented speed. Founded in 2017, the company’s flagship product is the Casita, a 361-square-foot studio unit that unfolds on-site in less than an hour. BOXABL also offers the Baby Box, a smaller 120-square-foot unit built to RV code, and is developing stackable and connectable models for townhomes and multifamily units. The company’s innovative approach has attracted worldwide attention as it aims to solve housing challenges for individuals and communities.
The announcement of the UFO habitat concept comes as interest in space colonization grows, with both government agencies and private companies pursuing lunar and Martian settlements. By offering its intellectual property royalty-free, BOXABL hopes to accelerate development of habitation solutions that could be critical for long-duration space missions. The concept aligns with broader trends in modular and deployable architecture, which are seen as key enablers for sustainable off-world living.
For more information about BOXABL, visit https://www.boxabl.com/ir. The full press release is available at https://ibn.fm/opOWs.
