We wanted to design a base that can be a comfortable place to stay for the astronauts in their intense schedule as our Moon camp. To achieve this, we have developed a settlement that includes both areas to complete their various studies and places that can help them maintain their physical and psychological health. 

We have fourteen areas in total: a bedroom, restroom, kitchen, hobby room, infirmary, sports center, reservoir, garage, meeting room, laboratories, agriculture chamber, storage, and observatory.

Our broad base is structured with different types of buildings. Inspired by the ziggurat structure, the main building is placed in the middle and is connected to four other smaller buildings by gateways, locked with airlock doors. To improve the durability of our base and protect it from dangers, we have decided to surround our camp with lunar soil, providing it the shape of a scutoid.

We have also indicated the basic life of the astronauts in our settlement, such as their diets, sleeping and working schedules, or sports program, creating them a productive but comfortable life on the Moon.

To present our design better, we have made an animated video of our base. Here is a channel link you can use to reach it: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCitVHkYQ4u92ZlsnBvJRZBA

We are planning to build our camp at the South pole of the Moon, to give a more precise location; Shackleton Crater. The Shackleton Crater gets sunlight nearly %80-%90 around the year. This means that the Sun’s rays almost always reach this part of the Moon, which benefits us in preventing the need for unnecessary batteries. For this reason, we are planning to achieve most of the energy from the Sun. Another reason for choosing this location is that the temperature changes are much more stable than in other parts of the Moon throughout the year, which provides a livable place for the astronauts. Our third reason is that some studies have shown that Shackleton Crater contains frozen water. We can extract this frozen water and use it in scientific experiments or use it as a source of drinking water.

We are planning to use lunar soil, which is a local resource, as a material in the construction of our camp. First, we are planning to collect the soil with a rover specially produced for this job and then bring it to a usable format for 3D printer. Later, we are planning to produce building blocks in the form of scudoit, a three-dimensional shape, a column with half of one end lopped off at an angle, with the help of a 3D printer. Scudoit is a shape that has been discovered in the last 10 years, inspired by skin surface cells. A specially designed robotic arm will be used in the construction process. The general structure of our building was inspired by the ziggurat type building design, which was widely used in ancient Mesopotamia. A robust base has been created by combining the ziggurat design inspired by the ancient world with the newly discovered scudoit shape in the modern world.

To protect the astronauts from danger, we are planning to surround our camp with lunar soil. Dangerous cases that are possible to be faced on the Moon can be avoided by this technique, which makes it an advanced structure for the astronauts. Therefore, we can say that the reason for using lunar soil around our camp is to protect the astronauts from the radiation, the heat, and the possible meteor streams. Also, we are planning to use scutoid shapes in the structure of our camp. The shape and form of the scutoid can help us with durability, which is an essential element for the safety of the base.

To provide water for our settlement, our first step will necessarily be transporting the needed amount of water from the earth. To prevent the cost of transporting water regularly, we are planning on creating an artificial water cycle around our camp.
The first thing we can do to achieve this is settling purification systems that refine the water from the faucets, showers, or toilets around our camp. Apart from that, we are planning on placing detectors that will measure the amount of moisture in the air. If these numbers exceed the needed amount, we can condense the extra water vapor into liquid. Besides these, the location of our settlement is considered one of the potential places to have water. This hypothesis will also be one of the studies of our astronauts, and in case of verification, we can use this water in our artificial cycle.

A balanced diet is of great importance in order for the astronauts who will be staying at our base to continue their work efficiently. For this reason, we will provide astronauts’ access to fresh food with the aeroponic vertical farming method, which has become popular in recent years. It is used for both space and efficiency while using less water compared to other methods. The foods we will use in vertical farming are soybeans, peas, lentils, etc. There will be a balanced and regular %100 plant-based diet that consists of foods with high protein. Until the plants obtained from vertical agriculture are grown, the food needed will be brought from the world firsthand. Finally, when these steps are followed in order, a sustainable and healthy diet plan will be provided for the astronauts in our camp.

Because power is essential for a settlement on the Moon, we will provide the needed amount of power to cover monumental importance in our project.
In order to come up with an easily transportable and fertile resource, we have decided on solar energy as our number one source of power. With the new panel design that we have made, inspired by sunflowers, we aim to get sunlight more efficiently with the rotatable leaves that follow the sunlight throughout the day. We have also thought about the transportability of our panel and added a foldable future to it.
We are planning to use treadmills that astronauts use to exercise as another source of power. On the other hand, the hydrogen obtained as a result of hydrolysis can be used as rocket fuel.

For a livable atmosphere, the need for elements will be provided from the air tanks taken from the earth. On the other hand, air circulation is one of the most important things for the astronauts. We plan to supply this circulation inspired by fish. Fish have the biological structure for filtering particles, and it is being considered that fish may have evolved a filter design to remain unclogged. With this information, we will design our filters as fish-inspired filters. These filters will filter the air in four stages, and this aims to ensure a more livable environment for astronauts to live in. We will also use the oxygen we reach due to the hydrolysis process in the oxygen circulation of our camp.

The main purpose of our 4 astronauts who will stay in our camp will be to engage in scientific activities. Therefore, the science laboratories in our camp are also designed to support this purpose. The astronauts who will continue to work in fields such as physics, chemistry, and biology in the laboratories will also be active in the field of astronomy by making sky observations through the observatory in the camp.

One big reason why our camp focuses on scientific purposes is the advantage gained with the camp’s location. As mentioned before, our camp will be in the Shackleton crater, located at the south pole of the Moon. Studies support the possibility of frozen water being found near this crater. Therefore, among other studies, water resources close to the camp’s location can be researched and studied in the science laboratories.

It is of vital importance to plan the 24 hours of our 4 astronauts staying in our lunar camp most efficiently and healthily. Particular attention should be paid to the fact that our astronauts are not disturbed by the circadian rhythms, the repetition of their biochemical, physiological, and behavioral rhythms. In our camp, our astronauts will implement the shift work strategy. For example, while one astronaut is resting, another astronaut will participate in active activities in the camp. In the camp we have designed through this road, both the most efficient working order will be achieved and when there are emergencies in the camp. The astronaut whose shift is available will intervene in these situations as soon as possible. The day of the astronauts passes with an intense program from sports activities to scientific activities. That’s why it’s important to make sure astronauts get the sleep they need, which is at least 8 hours.

After waking up, the astronaut, whose shift is in, primarily takes care of their personal hygiene. The wastewater generated after this activity of the astronaut will be filtered by going to the treatment room through pipes. Astronauts fulfill their food needs with organic and eco-friendly plant-based nutrition produced through vertical farming in our camp. Astronauts need time to take care of this vertical farming room where we produce local and organic food. In order to protect themselves from myoatrophy, astronauts should devote a few hours every day to sports activities. For example, astronauts using the treadmill in the gym both protect their physical health and create an energy source for the camp with the kinetic energy obtained from the treadmill.

The daily working hours of astronauts are determined as 8-9 hours. During this time, they can use the chemistry, biology, and physics laboratories or make observations at the observatory in the camp. In the remaining hours of this solid pace, astronauts can carry out artistic and cultural activities by using the hobby room. Using the communication room, astronauts can also make video calls and meetings with their families. Thanks to the video call system in this communication room, astronauts can get the psychological support they need. Another thing we have done to help keep them psychologically stable is creating a VR headset and system for them to feel like they’re at home.