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: FundãoCamp

Agrupamento de Escolas do Fundão  Fundão    Portugal 17, 19

External viewer for 3d project

Project description

With this project, we seek to find solutions to build a lunar base, in which cosmic rays will be taken into account with the maximum protection since they are very harmful to human health. The base will be built at one of the poles, to take advantage of the frozen water found there. Taking advantage of a possible cave as a manufacturing site for the lunar base. Photovoltaic panels will be used as a source of energy, absorbing solar radiation and converting it into a viable source of energy. Given the conditions of participation in this Moon Camp Pioneers project, we intend to design a viable lunar base, in other words, to build something that facilitates the subsistence of humankind on the Moon for as long as possible. So, for our idealisation to be coherent and to have the highest potential of execution, it is necessary to trace several goals in which will be present our concern for the protection of the astronauts against cosmic rays, for the production of energy and food, and for obtaining oxygen and drinking water. In this design, we will focus mainly on aspects related to cosmic rays. In our plan will be a 3D projection of Moon Camp using Fusion 360 as requested by the project requirement. However, we intend to present a succinct plan that helps to decode, in a sustainable and economically possible way, the complexity involved in keeping humanity by itself on the Moon. 

Where do you want to build your Moon Camp?

As a team, we have our sights set on a place no humans have ever gone before: the lunar South Pole. This will offer us a new challenge and a new environment to explore as we build our capabilities to travel farther into space. The South Pole is a good target for a future human landing because besides being the most thoroughly investigated region on the Moon robotically, it also has the most exposure to sunlight on the rim of the Shackelton crater. Furthermore, some studies indicate that due to this fact, the fluctuations of the temperature change less dramatically which would be beneficial to providing a climate in which the astronauts can survive. This would also allow longer expeditions and more possibilities to work outside on the lunar surface.

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

To build the lunar base, lunar materials will be needed, such as Regolith (lunar soil). When the astronauts arrive at their destination, they will start a system that ejects and inflates a large tent, which represents the first component of the lunar base. Then, to form the objects intended for the construction of the base we will use a advanced 3D printer. The collection of lunar materials will be made with a Rover, which will be able to go to more distant points from the base and bring the necessary materials to the astronauts. The lunar base will slowly grow until it is large enough for the astronauts to begin to accommodate. After that, we will protect the lunar base with a thick layer of polyethylene to prevent damage from smaller meteorites. Polyethylene is a material easily found on the lunar soil, in addition it is a very flexible material that is quite useful to play the protective role. Finally, we will apply a layer of metallic paint covering all the domes. This paint will cover the interior of the base, which provides an extra layer against radiation.

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

Before building a lunar base resistant to cosmic rays and meteors, due to being made up of polyethylene and regolith, astronauts will need to protect themselves from cosmic and gamma rays. Because of this, their space suits will have to have a layer of polyethylene for their protection. As already stated, initially a Rover will be used to extract the materials to build the lunar base, which will also have the appropriate radiation protective layers to which the lunar environment is constantly exposed. To reduce the constant exposure, and to reduce the use of energy and materials in the construction of the lunar base, it will have part of its infrastructure inside a crater, also reducing the incidence of cosmic rays and gamma rays.

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

Water is a necessity for furthering human exploration. Regarding obtaining water, as it is in a solid state it will be extracted from the ice at the poles. It will later be introduced into a tank, so it can be exposed to solar radiation staying in a liquid state. As the density of water is greater than ice, it will be deposited at the bottom of the tank. There will be a pipe system that will take this water, not yet potable, to a water recycling system. Later on, astronauts will filter their sweat and urine to produce water.

For the first two months or more, the astronauts would have to consume food previously provided by the land. Subsequently, they will have a plant-based diet. Astronauts would grow plants in water under white and red LEDs which they can tweak to alter the composition of the plant. This plants would recycle organic waste and turn carbon dioxide into oxygen to breathe. Their diet will be calculated on earth to improve greenhouse’s efficiency. This will reduce the need for unnecessary amounts of food. We will cultivate soybeans, calcium, fat, Brussels broth, bell peppers (foods filled with vitamins and nutrients).

Since it is “always daytime” at the lunar poles, we will use photovoltaic panels that will always be working to obtain energy. it should be noted that there are times when we will not have light (eclipses). Therefore, while the solar panels lose to function normally, part of the energy received by them will be stored in fuel cells, in order to maintain a lunar base with energy necessary for the astronauts needs. Furthermore, the rovers that will assist the astronauts will have solar panels installed, and therefore, we will not need to worry much about how to recharge them.

To obtain oxygen, firstly we will use water electrolysis. This way, when there is a safe amount of water, it will be subjected to this process to separate its atoms from oxygen and hidrogen, obtaining the oxygen necessary for the survival of the crew. However, it is necessary to emphasize that as it is tricky to carry out this process when we first land.That way it will be necessary oxygen “store” that the astronauts will carry in the spacecraft. There will also be a greenhouse and a tank where several plants will be planced to also produce oxygen.

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

The MoonCamp’s mission is to help developing teamwork. We are encouraged to carry out researches from different scientific areas. We realize that the usefulness of a space station or even a lunar one, is not mainly related to what space can give us in terms of materials, but in terms of technological and scientific knowledge. Thanks to the international space station, a machine capable of transforming carbon dioxide into oxygen was invented. Thanks to that they will be able to transform polluted city into clean environments. Regarding water, it can be transformed through the recycling of urine. All of these scientific discoveries not only contribute to the knowledge of the universe, but are also an asset at economic and ecological levels, saving immense non-renewable resources. To conclude, we want our lunar base to be the beginning of exploration not only on the moon but perhaps on Mars in the future.

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

The Astronauts will work in shifts (morning and afternoon). In the morning, astronauts will start off their day by waking up and doing personal hygiene.After that, they will all meet on the main deck where they will discuss and analyze all the tasks and objectives, shown at the control board, that they will have to complete as teams , during the present day. After the morning meeting is concluded, the crew will be separated into the previously selected teams. Each team will have several roles to complete. Some will start of the day by doing their obligatory daily exercise and being in charge of preparing lunch for the crew. Others will start immediately working on the tasks that are shown to have a higher priority (for example: monitoring systems through the base to ensure that no systems are critical). Another team will go do field work outside to increase understanding of the moon. This research will help comprehend how to create a more sustainable and economically viable base on the moon and how we can expand this type of base, into other places such as Mars.

Around lunch time, all the crew will get together to eat something and during this time they will have time to develop their social skills as they interact with one another. After lunch, the teams will switch roles. The team that was in charge of working out and preparing lunch will do the monitoring work now. The team that was monitoring the base, in the morning, will do the expedition field work after lunch. The team that did the field work in the morning will rest after lunch and then will start investigating all the data that they collected during the morning.

After a day of working, everyone will get together on the main deck were they will be able to relax, tell stories about their families and play board games. This part of the day is critical. We not only worry about the crew’s physical health but also their mental health. To conclude, it is important to mention that there is no need to have a astronaut up during the night because the base will have an integrated alert system, which turns on, if there are any dangerous hazards.



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