moon_camp

Moon Camp Pioneers Gallery 2020-2021

In Moon Camp Pioneers each team’s mission is to 3D design a complete Moon Camp using Fusion 360. 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: Meca Tech Design

Instituto de Edudação Técnica – INETE  Lisboa    Portugal 17, 18, 19

External viewer for 3d project

Project description

Project with a futuristic look employing techniques and a whole viable and coherent structure. It is simple to the eyes and casts a light at the end of the tunnel for those who really understand it.
We are looking to fight all adversity that the moon may provide us, making this mission more comfortable, safe and feasible to the astronauts. We choose to settle in one of the poles, because these locations meet the biggest amount of requirements to build a moon base. We care the most about the wellbeing of all the men in this mission, providing them with a section of the moon base with the objective of reducing the effects that a low gravity environment has on the human body. Also providing hygiene similar to the one we have on earth by providing a special bathroom that is built to work in a low gravity environment.
We have built and designed two cars with a goal that is very crucial to this mission. We also provide a satellite signal to our astronauts with an already well studied method which is almost foolproof. The astronauts will be provided with oxygen through the cannisters acquired previously. They have a special valve that measure and regulate the oxygen levels in the base. It is important to have stable source of biological food.
The rest of the main purpose of base is leisure, work and organization of the main elements of this mission.

Where do you want to build your Moon Camp?

We are going to build our base in the south pole in a crater with slightly flat centre.
This place will allow us to be near a source of ice, which we will melt, filter and store for later use in the day-to-day lives of the astronauts.
The astronauts are going to stay in a crater and therefore achieving more controlled and more pleasant temperatures for human survival on the moon.

How do you plan to build your Moon Camp? Describe the techniques and materials you would use.

Techniques: As the technique, we have utilized 3D printing, D shape. It is a digital construction method that employs a 3D printer for architecture, to build entire buildings to scale. This was possible thanks to the use of the technique of deposition of materials which enables the structure to be self-sustaining during its construction.
Design: For the design of our base, we choose a catenary form, which resembles a geometric arc. This form enables the building to distribute any force to its base. With this design we obtain a much stronger and more stable structure.
Materials: To construct our base we will use a mixture of pieces of meteoroids and rocks. An inflatable capsule, which is easy to assemble and has high durability in an environment on the moon.

The environment on the Moon is very dangerous for the astronauts. Explain how your Moon Camp will protect them.

The surface of the moon is covered with rocky fragments and dust, designated as regolith. This material mixed with resin will be used to build our lunar base in order to best protect it against the radiation, asteroids, among other types of threats.
To protect our astronauts from the extreme oscillations of temperature we used a type of black resin, which absorbs heat and keeps a stable temperature level in our base.
In case of damage to the structure, the astronauts will have autonomous robots that will repair any structural damage.

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

To produce water, we utilize a station that melts and filters the ice which was previously cut to pieces, creating potable water that the astronauts can drink.

For the food, we choose to build a farm with a hydroponic system, which is a technique that requires only water and minerals in order to grow plants. This aqueous solution then flows through the pipes systems leading to the place where astronauts will plant the seeds. The plantations would be restricted to low-lying vegetables such as cabbages, lettuce, herbs, strawberries, and others.

To produce energy, we will resort the famous solar energy to power our base so that we can use all our instruments and gadgets. We will place them in strategic places so that they are have highest efficiency. The energy produced by the solar panels will go through a transformer and be stored in the battery. From there, it will be distributed to the whole base. We also have an energy counter to measure a utilized energy.

To have oxygen in our base, there will be oxygen cannisters stored in the base. These cannisters will eject oxygen to the base when the oxygen pressure is lower than wanted, and they will stop when the said pressure is at the correct levels.

Explain what would be the main purpose of your Moon Camp (for example: commercial, scientific, and/or tourist purposes).

The main purpose of building the moon base is to provide analysis and collection of a new land/soil for the exploration of minerals, and to allow future trips to the moon, where the astronauts will be able to stay for a long period of time, our base will provide them with basic living conditions.
This base will also allow the astronauts to achieve scientific objectives. Scientists use simulated lunar regolith and experiment with various mixtures to find a sample with the right consistency. Durability tests show that samples can withstand temperatures up to 114 degrees and down to -80 degrees Celsius, obviously requiring more testing. Therefore, we ensure that it is adequate to the construction of the lunar base.

Describe a day on the Moon for your Moon Camp astronaut crew.

From an early age the moon has been a source of curiosity. What is it? Does it have water? Is it possible to live there? Well, some of these questions are already answered and many others yet to explore, and it is the curiosity that the goal of our base will be based on.
A day at our base will start by waking up, drinking a cup of coffee, and staring at our beautiful planet from the moon’s perspective. Having their basic needs fulfilled, our group of astronauts can do what they do best, which is investigate and start answering certain questions. In the face of the 21st century, it seems to us that visits to the moon are getting closer each day, so our group of astronauts has a duty to find a good place for us to park our spaceships. At the scientific level, we still have questions that must be answered. The fact that we believe that there is water in the solid state leads to questions such as how the water cycle is and whether there may be water in the liquid state. Although volcanic activity has occurred on the moon, we still do not know when it occurred, and we also do not know exact age of the moon. And does the moon have active tectonic plates? Answering these questions was a goal of our astronauts.
With so much work to accomplish, our astronauts have to rest, so they have to do some exercise to keep their muscles active, which is very important when you are on the moon. They also have books and comfortable places to read. At lunch or dinner time, our astronauts would have to use what they have cultivated and rationalize the food. Using this time to socialize and maintain a human connection, important for mental wellbeing. Every day the astronauts have to send their studies to Earth, so that on Earth we could help share this knowledge. On Friday there would be a meeting between the astronauts and the support team on Earth to draw up a status and debate some problems.
Coming to the end of the day, our astronauts would talk to their families, and there would be a moment of mental and physical relaxation. After all, if a day on Earth is difficult, a day on the moon will be even harder.



← All projects