Mediterranean Landscapes as Natural Laboratories of Experimentation for Inhabiting Deep Space

As human space exploration targets the Moon and Mars, the role of terrestrial analogue environments in testing and developing extraterrestrial habitats becomes increasingly relevant. This paper explores the extreme landscapes of the Mediterranean, particularly the arid deserts and volcanic terrains, as experimental sites for the design and evaluation of space architecture. Using a qualitative comparative framework grounded in architectural typology, environmental simulation, and analogue mission case studies, the research evaluates how these environments contribute to the conception and testing of sustainable, human-centred off-world habitats. The results include an interpretive atlas of architectural proposals categorised by structural systems, mission duration, and contextual adaptation. The findings suggest that Mediterranean analogue sites not only offer valuable testing conditions for technical systems and materials but also inspire formal and ecological paradigms of inhabitability. This paper advocates for the integration of analogue landscapes in the methodological and pedagogical toolkit of space architecture and calls for future interdisciplinary research bridging ecology, psychology, and design.