The base consists of 6 main parts. First, the multi-room is a place where astronauts can spend their time together. It has a dinner table and the kitchen facilities. Next, the bedroom, is separated in 4 smaller cabinets, so that the astronauts have some privacy. Each cabinet includes a comfortable bunk bed, 2 wardrobes and a toilet. Behind the bedroom, a recreational area is located. It is a place for astronauts to spend their free time and also workout. It is equipped with workout machines and a TV where astronauts can watch movies and play videogames.

Moreover, the hydroponics facility is the biggest in our camp. It creates a proper environment, where food can be grown. Furthermore, the industrial area, contains all the life-support systems, like the water and waste recycler and also 3D printers, where astronauts can print synthetic food. The storage is a safe area where Nitrogen and Oxygen tanks are reserved. There are also shelves where food, tools and medical equipment are stored. The lab, where astronauts will be working most of the time is also of equal importance. It has 2 floors; the upper one has a telescope and the ground floor is fully equipped for microgravity experiments. Our base is designed to be almost self-sustainable in the future, because we want to establish a base that will play an important role in future space exploration.

Our Moon Base is situated at the Malapert mountain, close to the Shackleton crater at the South pole of the moon. The dominant advantage of a polar site is the constant thermal and illumination environment. Malapert Mountain is bathed in sunlight for extended periods of time, around 90% or more of the lunar year, meaning that we can make use of that solar energy and convert it into electricity. Moreover, due to the constant illumination, the temperature conditions remain relatively stable in this location. Furthermore, Malapert Mountain is near permanently shadowed regions, which can be easily reached by a vehicle. These sites are believed to contain mission enhancing volatiles, and most importantly water ice, that could be melted for drinking water and split using electrolysis to provide oxygen for astronauts to breathe and hydrogen to use as rocket fuel. Lastly, this location also offers direct-to-Earth communication.

Travelling to the Moon is expensive. The heavier the payload, the more fuel required and the higher the cost. That is why we wanted to build our base out of the Moon’s available resources. Our plan, is based on ESA’s concept. To construct our base, 2 payload Starships will arrive. The first one will contain the modular parts and the second one the necessary equipment. The modular parts will be deployed and then extend to provide a support structure for construction. Layers of regolith are then built up over the dome by a robot-operated 3D printer to create a protective shell. In the end, all the inflatable modules will be covered with a layer of 3D-printed lunar regolith by robots, to protect the astronauts from space radiation and micrometeoroids. Moreover, we will use lunar regolith in 3D printing. This way we will be able to manufacture necessary elements of the base on the Moon.

The dangers of the lunar environment, such as sudden changes in temperature, lack of atmosphere and magnetic fields, means higher levels of radiation and micrometeorites. We chose to build our moon base on the surface and in order to protect the astronauts from the dangers we did the following. Firstly, the whole base will be covered with a thick and robust layer of regolith, that will protect them from micrometeoroids, solar radiation and cosmic rays. The protective shell will be at least 20cm thick and also condensed, in order to protect the astronauts even from the worst phenomena, such as a solar flare. Lastly, there would be strict limits on time outdoors to limit radiation exposure.

Since our base is located in the south pole and NASA has confirmed that water in the form of ice is present at the bottom of the craters, our rovers will immediately start excavating ice water and then transferring it to our base. Then, using our ice melting facility it will be melted and stored in tanks. Moreover, our base will have a water recycling system, similar to the one in ISS. Urine, sweat and water in the air will be recollected, filtered and reused.

The hydroponics facility will not only provide food, but it will also play an important role as a life support system. The facility will have artificial light, in order for photosynthesis to happen. The diet of the astronauts will be a plant-based diet with occasionally some synthetic 3D printed meat. Our hydroponics will include plants like potatoes for carbohydrates, carrots for vitamin A, lettuce for Ca and P, wheat for Se and Mn, cucumber for vitamin K and soya beans for protein and fats. The industrial part of the base includes 3D printers suitable for printing synthetic food.

In the beginning our source of energy will be solar energy. Our solar panels, because of the location of the base, will be exposed to the sunlight almost permanently so there is no reason to store batteries. After we establish a self-sustainable base, we believe that in the future our source of energy will be a nuclear one. It offers power source that is not affected by the day/night cycle and also due to the abundance of He3 on the lunar surface and especially in the permanently shadowed regions. The astronauts can also charge their portable tablet while working out.

There are 3 ways of producing O2 in our base. Firstly, using electrolysis of water, we split the molecule of water into O2 and H2. Secondly, the plants in hydroponics, absorb the CO2 from the air via photosynthesis and give O2. Lastly, in the perimeter of the main component of the base, we have included a pool that contains spirulina and a plant that produces O2 when it reacts with water.
In order to have an atmosphere we will also need N. Unfortunately, there is no way to produce N, so we have to bring compressed N from Earth.

In the past, people believed that it was impossible to escape Earth’s atmosphere and now we have astronauts living in the ISS constantly. We want to take a step further; our goal is to inspire humanity to travel to space and colonize other planets, like Mars, and slowly become multiplanetary species. Moreover, our moon base will help humans acquire more scientific knowledge. Astronauts will conduct experiments and also study the effects of microgravity in the human body. Moreover, we want to export materials from the moon’s surface like iron, titanium, and other minerals, which can be found in large deposits. Furthermore, we want our moon base to act as a staging point for future missions, due to the lack of atmosphere and the reduced gravity. Our base will not have a single purpose, but eventually start a new era in space exploration.

We made sure to design a program for the astronauts that will fulfill the following; staying fit and healthy, doing research, and having time for themselves. Waking up, each astronaut will brush their teeth, using his hygiene kit, which contains their toothbrush and other hygiene items and then do some stretching. After that, they will head to the main room and check for any system malfunctions. When it comes to working, our lab facility is fully equipped so that the astronauts can carry out research that only a microgravity environment can provide.

They will also study the effects of microgravity on their bodies to see how the human body adjusts to such conditions. Moreover, they will make sure that every system is operating properly so they will have to check  the systems in the industrial area several times per day.

Concerning astronauts’ nutrition, they will eat 5 meals a day, 3 main meals and 2 snacks. We have selected plants that will ensure the food the astronauts eat provides them with a balanced supply of vitamins and minerals. The reduced gravity of the moon will have negative effects on the astronauts’ bodies, so in order to prevent bone and muscle loss, they will work out at least 2 hours daily. Our gym facility includes treadmills and exercise bikes, designed for use in space.

Constant work will cause stress among the astronauts, so every day they will have at least one hour for themselves. They will have time to communicate with their family and friends on earth, play videogames, read eBooks and do other fun activities.  At the end of the day, after they have fulfilled all their tasks, they will head to their bedrooms. We made sure that the astronauts sleep at least 8 hours, so that the next day they are productive and full of energy.