moon_camp

Moon Camp Explorers Gallery 2020-2021

In Moon Camp Explorers each team’s mission is to 3D design a complete Moon Camp using Tinkercad. They also have to explain how they will use local resources, protect astronauts from the dangerous of space and describe the living and working facilities.

Team: MAPA

International School of Toulouse  Colomiers    France 11

External link for 3d

Project description

We are proposing the availability of a new lunar base with a goal of investigation and colonization of the Moon in case of overpopulation on Earth. This will occur in four phases. The first phase has already happened. In 1969, when man took his first steps on the Moon with the help of the Appollo missions, phase 1 was completed. We will arrive at phase 2 around 2035, with a potential delay due to the interests of governments focused on other matters. Phase 3 will occur by 2075, at which time we will start colonizing the Moon, and in a hypothetic case, as a ramp to Mars’ colonization. Phase 4, around 2100, will be to create a functioning, self-sufficient civilisation. Our Moon Camp, which we have named Asteri, the Greek word for star, presents our plans for this 4-phase idea.

Where do you want to build your Moon Camp?

Close to the Lunar Poles

Why did you choose this location?

Our base is going to be placed in the enfolds of the crater Tycho, coordinates 43°18′S 11°12′O, although we think that our base could be placed in diverse areas on the lunar surface. The distance to the nearest lunar pole, the South one, is about 800 km. The average temperature is -150°C and our landing place is going to be outside, which poses an environmental problem. Thus, the astronauts will live on the spaceship and in lava caves to protect them from drastic temperature changes and cosmic radiation.

How do you plan to build your Moon Camp? Which materials would you use?

Our base is very flexible which allows for lots of modifications if needed. We took inspiration from the construction of the ISS and admired the work, deciding to use some aspects on our own Camp. For example, an idea of ours was to use the satellite as part of the home, so that the spare oxygen could be reused for living purposes. To protect our astronauts from radiation, we will use Demron fabric around the base due to its lightweight characteristic and little thermal conductivity. A combination of the Demron fabric and a layer of Moon dust will allow astronauts to be safe from Solar wind and sources of radiation.

Explain how your Moon Camp will provide the astronauts with:
Water
Food
Electricity
Air

As it was recently discovered, the Moon contains water in abundance. This is why in our preliminary models of Asteri, there is a type of autonomous robot that will collect lunar dust. This dust will then be carefully distillated at 100° Celsius in order to isolate pure water and separate it from potential toxins. Even though there is no sign of life on the Moon, we will add some chlorine just to ensure complete sterilization before further filtration for drinking.

In our simplified model of Asteri, we have a special hyroponic greenhouse bay that can grow vegetables and breed fish, which is full of protein, vitamins and other nutritious substances which will allow our astronauts to have a healthy body and therefore prosper. It is essential to choose adequate food in the form of vegetables, fruits, and fish. If possible, upgrades can be made to include meat, such as sheep or small mammals. In the future, we will have protected greenhouses that can store and make more food and self sustain.

To power our lunar society, we are planning on making a fusion reactor based on helium 3. This is very abundant on the Moon and the supply will not deplete until the Sun goes supernova (which scientist believe is 5 billion years) as the lunar supply of this substance is due the radiation from the Sun. Other alternatives are to use solar power during the night and store them in super huge condensers or batteries. This can be used for electrolysis to separate hydrogen from oxygen for rocket fuel.

In an article written by Meng et al. there is evidence and research on the successful transformation of CO² into CO allowing liberation of oxygen. This process would be useful because water found on the Moon will be reserved for drinking and cleaning, therefore we cannot use electrolysis. Meng’s process will allow our crew to recycle their respiratory waste products. The problem is that air contains 79% nitrogen which means that either we collect the nitrogen from Earth, or we can sieve it out from the lunar atmosphere.

Describe a day on the Moon for one of your Moon Camp astronauts

Every day at the lunar base will consist of waking up at 6:30. The astronauts will eat breakfast, water the plants and check the functionality of the autonomous robots. At 12:00, they will eat lunch in their home pods or in the canteen and rest for one hour. In the afternoon from 13:00 to 14:00 they would manage the incoming satellites by calculating the optimal angle that the satellite needs to be so that it can attach to the space elevator. They will also manage the exporting satellites. From 14:00 to 15:00 the astronauts would exercise for one hour. From 15:15-16:00 they will fix, if necessary, any broken rovers or check if the filters inside the robots need replacing. From 17:15 they would water the plants with the filtered urine from the day and add the additional nutrients. Between 18:00 or 19:00 they would stop working and head home with room mates, prepare some rationed food to eat at 20:00 and finally sleep at 21:00.


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