DESTINATION MOON

Starting Situation

The planning phase starts in 2012. All nations agree to incorporate private companies in order to settle on the Moon, explore it and begin research for a later Mars mission by 2050.

5 Stepping Stones

The goal is a functioning lunar base for 12 people by the year 2050. The preliminary research tasks are to study the environmental and physical properties of the Moon, to research possibilities in situ resource-utilisation, to produce Helium-3, and to prepare the way to Mars.

Step 1: The surface is scanned for lava tubes and an optimal site near the Shackleton-crater

Step 2: Robotic missions prepare the site for human missions

Step 3: In 2031 a multifunctional base, called “Aymara3“ is installed. It is sufficient for 3–6 people and an interval of up to 180 days. The base will be the safe-haven, home, and work and leisure site of the inhabitants

Step 4: The preparation of the lava tubes / tunnels is complete and the permanent lunar base is installed but now back in the year 2031.... living space private crewquarters connecting lift entry and wardroomlaboratory, control and communication center cupola connecting lift building services floor nks - fresh and stagnant air watertanks - drinking water watertanks - grey water

Step 5: The station will be a permanent living and working space in the year 2050 and should include a large greenhouse etc.

Destination Moon

Ground floor 1:50 - Working

The main ground floor plan has two docking possibilities for rovers, two suitlock options and one additional docking possibility. The rover, EVA entry, and wardroom are equipped with flexible storage racks for tools, instruments and materials. The medical room is situated next to the EVA area for immediate help. Two laboratories and a communications area are situated next to the passageway to the upper floor and to the lava tube underground station.

First floor 1:50 - Public and Private

The first floor contains the living functions for a permanent crew of 3 lunarnauts for a maxium stay of 180 days. Temporary crewquarters are available for the shift-turn-over period. The social area, which contains a mobile kitchen, table, benches and public storage space, is located upstairs. The toilet and the bathroom include an infra-red shower and steam function for wellness. The private rooms will be entered through a semi-private space.

Evaluation by Marc M. Cohen

The Aymara combines a sequence of three missions: an automatic scan, then robotic exploration, then human arrival and habitation. It comprises a lander or lander system that stacks two toruses – smaller one on top – on six landing legs with six round windows. On the center vertical “Z-axis” the Ayamara positions a drilling shaft. It is built into the crater rim wall in a manner reminiscent of William Sims’ seminal master thesis in architecture at Princeton in the early 1960s.

The architects intend to install the preliminary habitat on a crater rim and the extended habitat in a lavatube. Unfortunately, it is extremely unlikely that a lava tube would occur in an impact crater rim such as Shackleton’s.*

“The region around the Lunar south pole was selected as the preferred building site for the studio and the team was informed that there is no evidence for lavatubes. ** H owever, when this team came up with their approach for the typology of building in a lava tube or ‘holes underground’, we let them work in this setting due to the limited time frame of this studio and in order to have a wider project range. The initial intention to place part of the habitat underground was to protect the living quarters from radiation.” [Instructors]

The Aymara floor plan of the preliminary habitat is a classic radial layout. It seeks maximum flexibility using movable radial walls made from textiles. The vertical circulation core runs down into the crater walls, with a sort of movable platform as the main vertical movement system. The habitat will receive light at depth through solar illumination tubes, although it is not stated whether this device is based on internal reflectivity or a fiber-optic bundle such as the Himawari system.

The model is built as a complete transverse building section that articulates the two toroidal inflatables of different diameters. There could have been much more design exploration in working out the relationship and connections between these two diameters and the diameter of the descent stage ring.

The vertical circulation system provides single access and egress. The relationship of the habitat to the surface in terms of EVA access for ingress and egress appears to be unresolved. Part of the reason for this lack of resolution maybe that the architects present the lower 2050 addition only in section.

*A lava tube is a remnant of a volcano, which on the Moon tend to be relatively low and flat shield-types. While these volcanoes may have craters, they do not have tall, steep rims. An impact crater such as Shackleton is created by the impact of a large meteoroid or asteroid hitting the lunar surface, throwing up ejecta that form the crater rim. If there were a lava tube before the impact, the crater formation would obliterate it.

**Based on a conversation with lunar expert Bernard Foing

Lunar Biodiversity Data Base

Project by Julia Klaus and Christian Mörtl

Location Shackleton crater and rim

Year 2050

Mission Objective Research habitat and seed bank

Mission Length 2050 - 2150

Crew members 24 (to 80)

Typology underground and permanent station on the surface

Specific Characteristics electromagnetic lunar dust shielding, inflatable structure including internal landscape