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 dangers of space and describe the living and working facilities in their Moon Camp.
Pinewood American International School Thessaloniki Thessaloniki-Thessaloniki Greece 13 0 / 3 English
Our moon camp will be called Pefko, which is the Greek word for Pinewood, the name of our school. We chose this because it is a creative spin on the name of our school and represents the country our school is located. We will assemble a settlement for four astronauts to live in. They will be able to have the privilege of living in a sustainable and non-complex way. In these camps, they will be able to conduct experiments, to adapt to the moon’s conditions and to create scientific innovations. The outer Moon Camp consists of a greenhouse for nutritional purposes, a water collecting rover, a microwave room that will be used to evaporate water out of regolith, and solar panels to power the camp. Inside the camp, there will be a bedroom, laboratory, kitchen, bathroom and gym. Additionally, the base will be protected from radiation and meteor showers. Subsequently, our Moon Camp will be a safe space for astronauts to work without any difficulties.
Returning to the moon is essential for several reasons. Firstly, establishing a settlement on the moon could provide a temporary solution to Earth’s overpopulation problem, as the settlement becomes self-sustaining and stops relying on resources from Earth. Secondly, the moon offers an opportunity to explore and discover more resources, including rare and common minerals that could be vital to Earth’s future. Additionally, the moon could help us understand the formation of the Earth, the moon, and the solar system, and the impact of asteroid collisions. The moon camp could also act as a trial run for a camp that could be built on other planets such as Mars. By going back to the moon, we can gain valuable knowledge that could help us better understand our universe and potentially unlock new technologies that could benefit humanity. Ultimately, returning to the moon is a necessary step for the continued advancement and sustainability of our species.
Shackleton crater
The Shackleton crater is an ideal location for a moon camp due to its abundance of water ice in the permanently shadowed regions. The crater is protected from radiation and meteorites due to its location on the south pole. It is perfect for growing plants and obtaining oxygen, as it has plenty of sunlight at the peak of the crater, and of course a large supply of regolith. The sunlight outside the crater’s rims provides essential light for plant growth, and the nearby water source eliminates the need for transporting water from Earth to the moon.
Many of our structures like our parts of our rovers and our laboratory and gym equipment would need to be transported from Earth, however all of them will be sent in smaller parts that will be assembled upon the astronauts arrival on the moon. This saves a lot of space on the rocket. The moon’s natural resources that we will use will be the plentiful regolith of the surface. It will be used to supply the astronauts with oxygen and clean, drinkable water. The moon’s high energy sunlight exposure will also be harnessed to power our moon base with green, sustainable energy as well as for the growth of our plants.
The moon base will be within the walls of the Shackelton crater which are made of regolith. Regolith will protect our moon camp from harmful radiation and dangerous meteorites. The thin atmosphere of the moon contributes to its harsh environment, but our camp works around that issue by supplying our astronauts with the oxygen they need with regolith collecting rovers that will heat up the collected regolith to create oxygen. The limited water on the moon is also not an issue since our water collecting facilities will act as a sustainable source of water.
Water will be supplied from rovers which collect rocks from shadowed areas of the crater and then deposit the rocks into a microwave room. The microwave will evaporate the water within the rocks, which then will be liquified. A pump will pump the liquefied water through pipes that lead to other facilities. A greenhouse that will provide food will be outside of the crater. It will be a temper glass cylinder reinforced with titanium that lets sunlight in. An airtight door will be used so the necessary oxygen for the plants and astronauts doesn’t escape. It will have a mechanical cover programmed to let the plants receive sun for a certain amount of time. After that the titanium cover will move to cover the greenhouse removing light; simulating night. The greenhouse will provide kale for five people. We will use an air-making rover that will collect regolith. It will contain solar panels and a microwave. The microwave will heat up the regolith. The heat will cause a chemical reaction which will create oxygen that will be transported automatically and stored in tanks. Power will be supplied by solar panels located at the peak of the crater to receive maximum sunlight.
Endurance Training:
Aerobic exercises like running, cycling, and swimming to increase cardiovascular fitness and stamina for extended spaceflight.
Interval training to help astronauts maintain high levels of fitness during the mission.
Resistance Training:
Weight lifting to maintain muscle mass and prevent muscle loss during prolonged spaceflight.
Resistance band exercises to work specific muscles and joints used during EVAs.
Bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges, and push-ups to improve strength and stability.
Balance and Coordination Training:
Balance training exercises such as yoga and Pilates to help with balance and coordination in low-gravity environments.
Coordination exercises, such as juggling or balance beam work, to improve hand-eye coordination and proprioception.
Underwater Training:
Neutral buoyancy training in a large swimming pool to simulate the effects of low gravity and prepare astronauts for EVAs on the lunar surface.
Scuba diving to simulate the effects of pressure and prepare for emergencies in case of a water landing.
Flexibility Training:
Stretching to reduce the risk of injury during spaceflight and EVAs.
Yoga and Pilates help maintain flexibility and improve balance.
Medical Training:
Medical training to help astronauts recognize and respond to medical emergencies that may occur during the mission.
First-aid training to address minor injuries and illnesses.
