moon_camp

Moon Camp Pioneers Gallery 2019-2020

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: Moontugas

Daniel Sampaio  Sobreda    Portugal 15 to 16 years old

External viewer for 3d project

Project description

[42]

Describe your Moon Camp project.

Our Moon Camp would have the shape of a capsule/tube (the walls must be round to control the air pressure) to be able to remain in the subsoil of the Moon, where only the ‘Lift Entrance’, the solar panels and the solar collectors would be exposed. This capsule would consist of nine main divisions: the kitchen, where food supplements would be stored; the dormitory/living room, where the five retractable beds would be located; then we would have a hallway with two bathrooms; after that, the center of communication with the Earth; a disinfection area that would be connected to the ‘Lift Entrance’ above it, which allows the passage to the lunar surface; connected to that, we would have the laboratory; then the gym, where the team would be able to gain muscle mass; another hallway with two toilets; and, in the end, we would have the greenhouse, where food and oxygen would be produced. Solar panels must be above Moon Camp’s underground part to be easy to connect them with the work materials that need energy in the laboratory. Besides the underground infrastructure, connecting all the divisions, in its left side, there will be an emergency tunnel, in case one of the divisions is somehow contaminated or otherwise dangerous to enter.

Where do you want to build your Moon Camp?

Our Moon Camp was designed to be built inside of a lava tunnel (Moon’s natural structure) because that could protect it from the solar radiation and the falling of meteorites. We also wanted it to be located close to the South Pole, due to the fact that there is a greater probability of finding frozen water in a more localized way than what we would find at the North Pole. Obviously, our Moon Camp needs to be on the side of the moon that remains facing the Earth, in this way we would be promoting better communication between our natural satellite and our planet, besides some reflected sun light from Earth during the night and some extra protection against meteorites.

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

To build our Moon Camp, robots would be needed. These robots would have to be capable of building the entire structure inside the lava tunnels. To build the primary structure of our lunar capsule, we thought about using three-dimensional graphene, because this is an extraordinarily strong material and at the same time light, therefore easier to transport to the moon. In order to complete this graphene support, cement walls made from lunar regolith would be built over it, thus taking advantage of the geology of the Moon itself. Finally, all surfaces would be coated with graphene in its Mott insulator form, with the exception of the ‘Lift Entrance’ and areas for solar panels and collectors. For the mentioned areas, we thought of placing a layer of graphene batteries in their superconducting form over the lunar cement already covering the first layer of graphene. Then a layer of aero graphite, a resistant material, very flexible and capable of conducting the electric current to the graphene batteries, would be used, and finally the photoelectric cells, solar panels and collectors would be installed.

Water
Food
Electricity
Air

In an initial phase, it would be necessary to obtain water through a reserve already brought from Earth. As research on the Moon continues, it can be obtained through the lunar ice present in the subsoil and through the filtration of urine

Just like water, in an initial phase, astronauts will have to feed on the resources brought from Earth, however, our plan is to bring to the greenhouse earth rich in mineral salts, some cyanobacteria, insect eggs and also some fish eggs to be able to grow more diverse food using aquaponics. In addition to what has already been mentioned, the feces would be disinfected and then sent to the greenhouse to be used as natural manure.

The energy would be provided not only by the solar panels but also by solar collectors that would allow the astronauts to regulate the temperature inside the capsule. Besides that, the gymnasium would be another power generator since the astronauts need to practice regularly physic exercise, this energy would be stored in batteries.

Oxygen, just like water and food, would have to be initially consumed from a reserve until cyanobacteria and plants (from the greenhouse) start to produce enough oxygen for all possible expenses.

How do you plan to build your Moon Camp? Which materials would you use?

[54]

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

An underground moon camp will be a natural shield to protect the astronauts from the danger. Lava tunnels would suggest protected corridors, free of temperature swings, damaging radiation, and meteorites. It will be more effective than any terrestrial technology.

The only thing that must be on the surface and exposed is the entrance and the solar panels.

Besides that, the entrance will be retractable, reducing the loss of energy from its shadow and the chance of it being hit by meteorites.

Inside of the structure itself, each chamber will be separated from the adjacent ones by an airlock with an emergency button to lock that chamber in case of contamination. To allow movement through the base on such cases, there will be an emergency tunnel to the side of the main chambers.

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

A day on the Moon Camp must be like a day in the ISS:

  • 06h00-06h30 – Crew wakes up; morning hygiene, breakfast, watch the news, read the Daily Summary, Morning prep for work
  • 07h30 – Morning Daily Planning Conference; work (Payloads, systems maintenance, Ops prep, Exercise)
  • 12h00 – Lunch; Work (Payloads, Systems maintenance, Ops prep, Exercise)
  • 19h00 – Evening Daily Planning Conference; personal time for dinner, email, relaxation, evening hygiene
  • 22h00 – Crew goes to sleep

The daily routine must have: two hours of physical exercise planned tasks every 5 minutes (every task must have a written procedure that astronauts can follow) and planned meals too (midday meal). The total hours of work should be counted every day to make sure that astronauts are not taken to the point of exhaustion. Sometimes, in a task, there are needed two or more astronauts and one of the astronauts must be the commander, who is responsible, if necessary, for making decisions (together with someone who is on Earth) for the astronauts.

The tasks must be always different to take advantage of the time and study different things. In the lunar day, they could explore and collect samples to analyze, and in the lunar night, they could analyze those samples in the laboratory.



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