In 1984 Iranian architect Nader Khalili (1936-2008) was invited to a NASA symposium on lunar bases in the 21st century. Titled "Lunar Structures Generated and Shielded with On?Site Materials," Khalili's presentation was subsequently published in the Journal of Aerospace Engineering, in which he outlined the ways in which methods of constructing centuries-old Iranian adobe architecture could be adapted for lunar surfaces. This presentation shows how Khalili's extensive research and experimentation in the Iranian desert presented itself as an impetuous for his futuristic thinking in design. Khalili's work in Iran had resulted in a series of building projects that were made cheaply and ecologically and were particularly apt for the refugees and disaster victims on Planet Earth. However, by the architect's own account in the political atmosphere of the late-1970s and early 1980s, the world was more fascinated by the future than the present. So, Khalili translated his humanitarian "earth architecture" into shelters for the Moon and the Planet Mars. While predominantly focused on Khalili's structures for lunar surfaces, this presentation contextualizes Khalili's work within the broader framework of contemporaneous American Sci-Fi (particularly the writings of Ben Bova)as well as Iran's literary, cinematic and artistic inclinations (or lack thereof) toward sci-fi and futuristic genres in the second half of the 20th century. The paper concludes by surveying the work of contemporary Iranian architects who have been inspired by Khalili's design thinking and building methods.