Team: ESH Moon Camp
European School Den Haag Den Haag Netherlands 14 2 / 2
External link for 3d
Project description
Hi, welcome to our Moon Camp project. We wanted to create something both practical and aesthetic, so we settled for the domed buildings and underground structures often used in sci-fi movies. We have everything from a garage to repair and put moon rovers to a warehouse for fuel. On the surface, we tried to keep things simple: energy generators, a landing pad, an entrance to the base, a garage, a warehouse, a satellite dish for Earthwards communication, and excavators for minerals and rocks for construction and testing in the labs. Underground, for maximum protection, we put the astronauts’ living quarters, dining area, lab, and food growth chamber. Being underground is not only easier to manage (no meteorites or radiation, and also is just composed of old and reinforced lava tubes. The buildings on the surface are made of the rock found on the Moon’s surface, and have special reinforced glass that blocks radiation, and allows light to enter. |
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Why do your astronaut want to go to the Moon and build a Moon Camp?
We think that the Moon it’s an excellent place to test technologies, flight capabilities, life support systems, and exploration of new ways of live. Basically, the astronauts will be doing science. Where do you want to build your Moon Camp?
Close to the lunar poles Why did you choose this location?
We would build our base on a crater rim near the lunar north pole. It’s in near constant sunlight but not too far from probable stores of water ice. How do you plan to build your Moon Camp? Describe how you can use the Moon’s natural resources, and which materials you would need to bring from Earth.
A lot of the building on the surface could most likely be made out of compressed lunar dust. This is a durable, basaltic material found on the moon, most comparable to volcanic powder, or perhaps lunar concrete, which is a mixture of sulphur and aggregate (grains or crushed rock). Underground, the outer ‘shell’ would most likely just be the lava tube, with some concrete to reinforce and provide shape for the rooms. |
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How does your Moon Camp protect and provide shelter to your astronauts against the Moon’s harsh environment.
The main form of protection for the astronauts is the underground section of the base. Here, debri colliding with the Moon will not be a problem. On the surface, however, a thick wall of protection around each building is necessary. Maybe an electricity ‘shield’ or movement guided missile defence system would work for the bigger meteorites, but the smaller ones will be rejected by the strength of the building walls. Monitorising the activity of outer space debri will help, giving the astronauts enough time to prepare for the incoming collision. Vehicles will be sent out in pairs, to provide ‘buddy aid’ in case of need. On the Moon, resources are very scarce, but during long Moon missions, astronauts cannot rely on resupply missions from the Earth. Explain how your Moon Camp will provide astronauts with sustainable access to basic needs like water, food, air and power.
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What would you include in your astronaut training programme, to help prepare the astronauts for a Moon mission?
7:00 A.M. London time: Astronauts wake up, and have time for themselves until 7.30. 7:30 A.M.: All astronauts to report to the dining area. Personal needs will be cared for, and breakfast will be served, as well as a reminder of the day’s activities. 8:15 A.M.: Astronauts will be sent back to their quarters, with 15 minutes to get ready. 8:30 A.M.: Astronauts report for duty at their respective stations. These include: repair and maintenance, laboratory preparations, communication with Earth, etc. 9:00 A.M.: A signal will be sent Earthbound to confirm everything is functional and in order, and that all supplies are stocked. 11:45/12:30: In these two times, astronauts have time to eat lunch. Each time slot is 45 min, and exists to accommodate those who are busy. 5:00 P.M.: The workday finished for everyone/ the shifts change. Exercise somewhere from 5:00 to 8:00 P.M. is mandatory. 6:00 P.M.: Dinner is served. One hour is permitted. 9:00 P.M.: All astronauts sign out of their work place and go to their quarters. Note: exceptional days are days where expeditions are sent out with the rovers, the staff who has different sleeping and eating times, and two days a week where the astronauts and the staff get to call their loved ones back on Earth. Every half a year, astronauts have the chance to go back home, except in exceptional cases, where they remain there by choice, or have a job to finish. Exceptional note: almost everything (e.g., the tables, the microscope, the electricity towers, the rovers, the buildings) are made by us. |
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