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Moon Camp Explorers 2022 – 2023 Project Gallery

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.

Team 1 NLT

CSAA FUTURE Toronto-Ontario Canada 12, 11 0 / 1 English

External link for 3D Design

1.1 – Project Description

This moon camp will be the frontier of space research and mining operation. It will be used to conduct deep space observations and mine rare minerals from the moon.

1.2 – Why do your astronaut want to go to the Moon and build a Moon Camp?

In the telescope, there are many chairs to sit in and analyze upcoming space items, threat or not. The telescope also has a huge telescope on top for the astronauts to use on their computers and at the bottom floor is for keeping all the research safe and mostly just for physical features.

The antennas all over the base connect with other astronauts in that colossal radius. There are three antennas around the base. The antennas are mostly for communicating with the satellites or the turrets for the command center to control.

The specialized mining vehicle will collect minerals from lunar soil and transport it back for analysis.

2.1.a – Where do you want to build your Moon Camp?

Lunar lava tubes

2.2.b – Why did you choose this location?

Thermal radiation paint is a fascinating technology that has the potential to revolutionize the way we think about heat management in space. The paint works by selectively reflecting and absorbing different wavelengths of light, which allows it to either retain or dissipate heat depending on the specific needs of the spacecraft or structure it is applied. In the context of the moon or space, where temperature differentials can be extreme and highly variable, thermal radiation paint could be a game-changer. By applying the paint to spacecraft, satellites, or other structures, we could potentially reduce the need for heavy, energy-intensive thermal control systems, while also improving overall performance and efficiency. This technology represents a promising step forward in our quest to explore and inhabit the harsh and unforgiving environments of space.

2.2 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.

The moon camp will be constructed using modules transported from earth.

3.1 – How does your Moon Camp protect and provide shelter to your astronauts against the Moon’s harsh environment.

The turret is a robot that walks around scouting for meteors or any other dangerous items. There are three turrets in total. It has a camera at the top that will be sent to the control center as footage of the robot’s view. Once a robot finds a threat to the moon, it will blast the threat into little pieces until it is out of sight. If a robot finds an area that has usual threats, It will plant itself into the ground to stay and protect while the other two turrets are keeping other places safe. The turret will eventually take its legs out of the ground when there are fewer threats.

3.2 – 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.

The greenhouse is where all the food will be grown. In the greenhouse, there are stacks of plants that use hydroponics, a system where nutrients are directly inserted into the plants using water. Hydroponic plants produce a greater yield of fruits and vegetables because, in a hydroponic system, plants are more densely spaced together compared to the size of land that would be needed to grow the same number of plants. Plus, they don’t have to use soil which can fly everywhere if not fully contained. In this greenhouse, there is also an air humidifier, which can help the plants grow better. Without the greenhouse, astronauts would not be able to grow any food, and therefore, wouldn’t be able to eat anything. As a next step, I would probably reshape my containers to a more general, glass cylinder shape

The Air-water recycling module is made for water filtering and air-producing. The huge tanks near the solar panels are recycled water into a mist for astronauts to breathe in powered by solar panels and this module is one of the most important ones of them all. The tanks by the white wall contain filtered water from the filter beside it. The orange tank on the top is made for dirty water and used to be filtered, and the blue tank on the bottom is the filtered water ready to drink for future use or used for the mist air-maker.

The food processing unit (FPU) is an important part of the lunar base. It acts like a kitchen, preparing all the food for the astronauts. Most of the food is imported fresh from the greenhouse, where all the good is grown using hydroponics. The FPU has many machines to prepare food, such as ovens, cutters, and freezers. It also has a utensil storage system and a food hydrator, since many foods on the moon will need to be hydrated. Without this module, astronauts will not be able to eat most of the food that they grow. As a next step, I would probably reorganize my processing stations, expand the area for more space to navigate around, and add more useful machines such as an auto food cooker.

The power supply model is made for all the nearby buildings to have electricity for everything to function correctly. Inside the module we have batteries for backup and a panel beside the ladder to configure the solar panels outside. Solar panels are the main electric source. This room is mostly not meant for astronauts to stay at and be used when necessary such as collecting batteries or fixing solar panels.

In the power plant, there are various solar panels and generators that produce energy 24/7, giving the name “power plant”. The solar panels capture the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity, making it a very important part of the lunar base. The generator constantly converts mechanical energy from a few big wheels spinning into electrical energy. Without this power plant, the entire moon base would be out of power within days, and therefore nothing important with function.

4.1 – What would you include in your astronaut training programme, to help prepare the astronauts for a Moon mission?

The lounge is a building that consists of thirteen triple bunk beds and a total of thirty-nine beds. There is a large table in the middle where a few workers will bring food and water when they wake up. There are also four metal cabinets where the astronauts can store their belongings. Since the bunk beds are against each other, there are windows with small curtains so either you can talk to each other or close the curtain so that the person sleeping on the other side won’t stare at you when you sleep. There are also large curtains where a usual bunk bed curtain would be where the astronauts can (play) fight to keep it open, closed or to just all agree on something.

The washroom is a building that consists of eleven stalls and eleven sinks. There are three washroom buildings in total. The sinks all have a small drain in front of it and a small pullover plastic cover to prevent water from leaking everywhere. It takes training to use. The sink even has a small label that says “PULL DOWN COVER WHEN USING SINK” so that water doesn’t fly everywhere while you are washing your hands. You may get wet only if you splash the water. The toilets have belts and a small vacuum on the side and once you press the flush button, a plastic sheet will come out onto the seating area and flush, leaving no water in the air.