Our moon base is meant to let astronauts have a self sustained life on the moon for a prolonged amount of time. This moon base will take place in two main stages, the first stage will be a colony that is dependent on the Earth’s resources and funding. The second stage will be a colony where astronauts will fully live and not only will it not be dependent on funding, but it will make a profit. We have decided to depict the later stage in tinkercad. Our base will be placed in the Shackleton crater but the solar panels will be higher up where it’s not always shaded. When we first land we will use building materials brought from Earth to make the buildings. Our first mining project will mine out part of the side of the crater. This will supply us with some materials but more importantly it will give the astronauts a temperature controlled, radiation free, protected, place to live. Then we will set up more and more mining projects until we have a steady source of water, oxygen, and moon rock. Once we are self-sufficient we will start setting up projects to make a profit on the moon. The two main ways we will make money is from mining rare materials like platinum and helium-3, which can be found in asteroids that hit the moon. The other way is by making rocket fuel from kerosene or liquid hydrogen.

Shackleton crater

Our moon base will be situated on the side of the Shackleton crater. This will place us near an abundant source of water ice. Our solar panels will be placed out of the crater where it can get more sun. The Shackleton crater is in the south pole so there will be less meteorites and we will be able to keep communication with Earth.

Originally, the base will be made out of tough inflatable material. In the second stage the base will be constructed out of kevlar and concrete made from the lunar soil. As we explained before, the housing will be mined into the side of the crater. We will also have industrial 3d printers that will use a filament made by lunar soil. Once our 3d printer lab is fully constructed we can make any tools and even whole robots with the 3d printer.

In the first stage, water will primarily be sourced from earth and recycled urine. But in the second stage, we will produce enough from mining to not be dependent on suppliers from Earth. Since our base will be in the Shackleton crater there will be an abundant amount of water ice in it because of the perpetual shade.

In our base we will have food growing labs where we can grow many different types of plants like potatoes, tomatoes, and silkworm eggs. First we will have to bring some food from Earth. Once we start expanding the types of plants that we are growing and the quantity of them, we can make fake meat and even 3d print food. We will also have a composting program that can use human waste, so we can take care of the fragile moon habitat. The composting program should also give us very rich soil to grow our plants in.

There will be solar panels to provide energy throughout the daytime but unlike Earth the days and nights on the moon are 14 earth days. Because of the long nights we will position mirrors on the mountaintops that get sunlight almost constantly. A town in Norway used mirrors to reflect sunlight and it has made a whole town habitable because of it. There will also be a small nuclear reactor near the base that will be fueled by helium-3 and other radioactive materials found on the lunar surface.

Because of the influx of meteorites hitting the moon, lunar soil has an abundant amount of oxygen fused into it. We can actually melt oxygen from the moon rock which will provide us with more than enough oxygen. We will also be splitting water so we can get oxygen from that as well.

Our base will be in the south pole which generally gets hit with meteorites less than anywhere else. Not only will it be in the south pole but we will be in a huge crater which will also reduce the probability of getting hit by meteors. The living space will be in the wall of the crater so radiation won’t affect the astronauts. Finally, along with the mirrors shining light on the solar panels, some of them will be shining at our camp to keep the temperature up in the everlasting shade.

Here is what a day in the life on our moon base typically looks like. First, we all wake up, use the bathroom, brush our teeth, etc. Then we all meet in the kitchen to eat breakfast. Once we finish eating we head to our gym and work out so we stay fit and healthy. I normally work out for an hour and a half then get started on my farming and daily research. After I finish growing vegetables and fruits for the crew and I to eat later on, I research more efficient ways to produce more food in a shorter amount of time. 

Around noon we all meet back in the main building so we can eat lunch and share with each other all that we have done for the day and what we still need to accomplish. This meeting determines who needs to help who finish what by a certain time. Having a structured routine like this helps us stay organized and stress free. If I finish my daily tasks before dinner time I usually work out some more or I read. Once everyone in the crew finished their daily tasks and jobs we normally sit down and have dinner together then play board games. After that we usually go to our rooms and do our own thing. I normally go to bed at 9:30 to assure that I am well rested for my tasks the next day.