Basalt launchpad tiles developed by UH Hilo PISCES featured at Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum
The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., is featuring samples of PISCES’ Hawaiʻi Island basalt work at its new “Futures in Space” exhibition.
For more than a decade, the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES), a research and education program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo that explores Earth and space, has conducted pioneering research in Hawaiian basalt as a resource for sustainable space exploration.
This innovative work — transforming local volcanic rock into building materials for future lunar and Martian missions — is now receiving national recognition at one of the most prestigious aerospace museums in the world.
The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., is featuring samples of PISCES’ sintered basalt work at its new “Futures in Space” exhibition (see also, A New Gallery). The expansive exhibition, with objects ranging from space suits to space modules to docking stations, opened July 28, 2025, and features two launchpad pavers and an interlocking brick made entirely from Hawaiian basalt — products of years of research into In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) technologies. These technologies aim to enable astronauts to live off the land on other worlds, using local materials to build infrastructure instead of relying solely on costly supply shipments from Earth.
“We’re honored to have our work featured among the many outstanding contributions to space at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum,” says Christian Andersen, research director of PISCES. “This kind of recognition highlights the value of our continuing work here in Hawaiʻi to help make sustainable living on Earth, and beyond, possible. I’m excited to see local research from the Big Island contributing to global conversations about the future of space.”
Hawaiian basalt is chemically similar to lunar and Martian regolith, making it an ideal material for developing ISRU processes. PISCES’ basalt components are created through a process called sintering — using heat to fuse particles together without melting them — resulting in strong, durable construction elements suitable for habitats, landing pads, and other essential infrastructure in space.
- See Basalt Launchpad Tiles to Undergo Testing at NASA (PISCES, Sept. 1, 2020)
National Air and Space Museum Space Curator Matthew Shindell says the exhibit highlights the importance of research happening now to prepare for future space missions.
“We wanted to show our visitors the type of work that’s being done here on Earth to prepare for future crewed missions to the Moon and Mars, and to highlight who is doing this work,” says Shindell. “These experiments that PISCES has done with Hawaiian basalt are wonderful examples of innovations in ISRU technologies.”
In addition to the basalt samples, the “Futures in Space” exhibit also spotlights PISCES’ outreach and education programs, which inspire and mentor Hawaiʻi’s youth to pursue careers in STEM and aerospace. These programs provide students with hands-on opportunities in cutting-edge research, including materials science and space technology development.
Looking ahead, Andersen believes Hawaiʻi will continue to be a valuable testing ground for space exploration technologies.
“With our lunar-like landscapes, scientific talent, and cultural legacy of exploration, Hawaiʻi can make meaningful contributions to the technologies and ideas that will help shape how humans live and work beyond Earth. We’re excited to be a part of that,” he says.
Read more at PISCES news.
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