Destination Moon – Part 2 - Future Living and Working Spaces - Design Studio 2012

Destination

MOON

Department for Building

Construction and Design – HB2

Vienna University of Technology

Editor

DOWN TO EARTH

Project by Amine Khouni and Kerstin Pluch

Location PRINZ Crater

Year 2050

Mission Objective Recycling, Therapy

Research, Step to Mars

Mission Length 6 m - 2 Y

Crew members 6 - 12

Typology mobile / stationary, surface, underground

Down to Earth will be the first manned colony on the Moon.

The main objectives will be the improvement of lunar based scientific projects and exploration programs as well as waste management and pollution control derived from Earth`s knowledge.

After decades of trying to banish plastic from Earth, the Moon has been used as a wasteland. Now this plastic turns out to be a useful raw material in combination with regolith. This key issue will require - for the first time in human history - a lunar colony, which has to be set up in a short period of time in order to last for a long one. The Moon itself offers a lot of answers to the questions we are facing.

The most secure and yet simplest way to guarantee protection against external threats is to set up the colony underneath the lunar surface. For this purpose Robotic Drill Technology will be applied to create a protected shelter that will be filled with modules and extended with inflatables.

In addition to the underground tubes there will be moving vehicles allowing extravehicular exploration of the surroundings.

Storyboard

Evaluation by Marc M. Cohen

This habitat derives largely from the TransHab concept for an inflatable toroid around a rigid structural core, much like a “fat tire” on a motor vehicle. The entire habitat, including all the modules will be delivered to Prinz Crater in a single fairing. One issue that was unclear was whether the fairing would accommodate the TransHab-like module inflated all the time from launch to landing, or the module would be deflated during flight and landing, and then pressurized and inflated only after landing and emplacement.

It has seven “deck” levels, with a small airlock on top being the only visible construction on the surface. Although the architects provide a sort of functional star-diagram, they do not define in detail the nature of the relationships among the functions.

The concept calls for burying the habitat in a tapered shaft. The habitat incorporates several vertical circulation systems. It shows a “fireman’s pole” running down the center for rapid descent. In addition, there is a suggestion of an “elevator,” but it is not fully represented. What is most impressive, however, is the perimeter spiral stair. This stair provides not only a circulation system, but also creates a sort of grand promenade around the habitat volume. The architects use this stair to connect the various levels within the toroidal/ radial plan. In fact, the implementation of this

stair concept makes possible the half-floor splitlevel design that develops interest and variety throughout the seven levels. On these levels are some fascinating and attracting outfitting, including the teardrop shaped private quarters.

The perimeter spiral stair is a great strength of the design. If it would be the only method of traversing up and down it would pose a problem: the treads are very deep and the risers shallow compared to an interior stair in the 1-G field on Earth *.

„The students transformed the idea of the spiral stair to a spatial concept, depending the size and height on the function, while at the same time leaving some flexibility. An additional elevator is intended for fast traverse. It would be interesting to see this concept beeing developed in further detail.“ [Instructors]

*Annette Barnes paper “Stairs on the Moon” shows that the effect of the 1/6 gravity is that the risers should be much higher and the treads shallower than conventional Earth stairs. Changing the spiral stair to a much steeper slope would allow the architects to add a second spiral stair on the opposite side of the habitat; the differential levels between the two stairs would create a kind of double helix with dual access and egress for alternate half-levels.

The Green Andromeda

Project by Miran Badzak and Dario Krljes

Location Shackleton Crater

Year 2049

Mission Objective Greenhouse research

Mission Length 1 year

Crew members 6 (2 female, 4 male)

Typology Underground multifuncional station / Inflatable construction

Specific Characteristics

The Green Andromeda is a 12m diameter Moon base, with one floor on the surface and three floors underground. The Moon base contains six rotat able modules, two bathrooms and t oilets, a kitchen and a greenhouse that is extending up to the first underground floor.

Storyboard

The world`s governments are warning about possible future threats to mankind, such as pollution by industry, war, nuclear weapons and climate change. The world will lose its greenery. For this reason, in 2042, six people will be sent to the Moon base, which in fact is not just a simple base, but a shortcut to a green world, the green base for humanity. There they will perform the research necessary in order to take the next steps in colonising space.

The Green Andromeda

Why Green Andromeda? Andromeda is a spiral galaxy that has a rotation center and contains a trillion stars. In a similar way, our Green Andromeda contains hundreds of different plants and trees that are growing horizontally and vertically around the center of the base - a fusion of architecture and nature in one place.

What are the human needs?

There should be some space to sleep, rest, relax, maintain hygiene, space to work, space for privacy, to meet and communicate with people, friends, family, enjoying nature, etc. And the most important part, space to feel free in.

What is freedom in one place? It`s trying to satisfy all these needs, so that the user can enjoy their stay in that place. That is made possible by creating a multifunctional place, a place that will

continually change. The changes are actually in the nature of all of us, because in nature it is almost impossible to keep something in its original form.

Entra En Entr Ent nce-A e irloc c ock Commummunicat ni n ion Center

Greenhouse

The greenhouse is proposed to bring life, create a connection between the base users and nature and to play the most important role - to create air and to be the most important food resource on the Green Andromeda. The plants are located in horizontal and vertical cells that permeate all along the floors so that the user can reach them from any part of the base.

DESTINATION MOON

The Green Andromeda is a lunar base that puts the comfort of the astronauts, multifunctional use of space and the connection with ‘nature’ in the foreground.

That comfort is achieved using multifunctional modules that provide different possibilities of use. Each module contains a folding bed, multifunctional storage space for personal things, a table with a folding chair and a touch screen computer. Like the modules, the bathrooms are also multifunctional and can rotate according to function.

The pri vate modules can rotate around the center of the base and can be connected to one large

module, or be completely separated from each other, depending on the users needs.

The connection with nature is implemented via the greenhouse, which permeates all underground floors. It can be reached from any part of the base, creating air for the entire base. All facilities are always moving independently of each other and continually create new shapes.

1. Entrance - suitlock

4. Toilets and bathroom with multifunctional sanitary equipment

5. Kitchen and dining area with rotable tables and sitting places

7. Rotateable multifunctional crew quarter modules

2. Comunication center

3. Storage

8. Greenhouse

6. Platform

Level -1

Level -2 joined modulesLevel -2 partialy separated modulesLevel -3 Greenhouse

Level 0 Entrance- exit-suitlockcommunication- storage

1. Entrance - Exit Suitlock

2. Communication center

3. Storage

4. Toilets and Bathroom

5. Dining area

7. Rotateable modules

8. Greenhouse

8. Greenhouse

6.Platform

Personal storage

Picture projection Folding Bed Table with folding screen and sliding chair

Glas dome

Multifunctional crew quarter module

Evaluation by Marc M. Cohen

Green Andromeda is a largely agricultural colony that centers upon its plant-growth capability. Unlike the many concepts that separate the plants in greenhouses from the crew, Green Andromeda emphasizes the crew living in the same environment with the pla nts, as they would as farmers on Earth. The architects developed this concept through a storyboard and a very attractive series of hand sketches. The storyboard includes the obligatory Science Fiction plot device of a nuclear annihilation of human life on Earth, so that the Green Andromeda base becomes the only way to preserve the terrestrial and human ecosystem. However, it would be preferable to not require the threat of extinction before there is a good rationale for building a lunar base.

“The first task for the students was to invent their own future scenario for a lunar base. We were astonished, how much the students were aware of planet Earth. Some of them did not believe that human nature will change and therefore developed rather pessimistic scenarios. As a result, many teams put their efforts into developing habitable future living conditions.”

[Instructors]

Never the less, the storyboard and sketches provide considerable insight into the design approach. The sketches in particular show that the architects are thinking in multiple scales from the urban planning scale to the “flower pot” scale. In this way they developed their particular plant growth plus crew living environment concept. The module takes the overall form of a vertical cylinder with a co nvex top end dome and a flat bottom end dome. The cylindrical form unfortunately seems to be somewhat residual –other than the central core; there is no design driver to suggest why it should be cylindrical.

The concept calls for placing the module in a crater, or perhaps excavating a comparable pit if no suitable crater is available. A 12m in diameter inflatable dome covers the module. The module has four levels beneath the dome, although it is not clear the extent to which the inflatable encloses the complete module or whether there is a joint where the structure changes to another material. The upper level has a port for an airlock, and the airlock extends across the crater or pit as a bridge to the rim. The architects provide some steel construction details that are at a much higher level of detail than the rest of the project and somewhat out of place given the need to develop more of what happens on the various levels and in multiple modules. The module includes a center core elevator that provides access to each level. A vertical greenhouse area connects all habitation levels.

Within the crew living environment, the private cabins are pie-slice shaped, movable cells. By moving and joining the private modules, the crewmembers can decide to “co-habitate,” or to “breakup” and separate their private living space. The architects went a little further in considering private living arrangements than the other teams.

LunaMonte

Project by Aida Mulic

Location Malapert/Lunar south pole

Year 2050

Mission Objective Research in physics and geology

Mission Length 3 months

Crew members 5

Typology Surface stationary base, partly in lava tube

Specific Characteristics

Composed of four modules, main module brought from Earth, with three inflatable and one docking module.

DESTINATION MOON

Storyboard

The Moon base LunaMonte is located at the lunar south pole, at the base of the mountain Malapert. Considering the environment and the typology of the Moon, the suitable habitat is a subterranean structure, placed inside the mountain. In this way, the habitat is protected from outside influences, such as radiation and meteorites. The habitat consists of a main module which is connected to three inflatable modules at its sides. The main module is inserted into a lava tube at the base of Malapart, and then inflated.

An important part of the mission is to utilize a maximum of in situ resources and to acclimatize the astronauts to living on the Moon. Therefore, the mission is divided into three stages. In the first stage a temporary habitat is constructed. In the second stage, the construction of the permanent habitat begins. Afterwards the crew begins to research and to prepare for the arrival of new crew members. Stage three involves the construction of a mining plant to extract Helium-3.

DESTINATION MOON

Formation of Lava Tubes

Lunar lava tubes are sub-surface tunnels that are believed to have formed during basaltic lava flows. When the surface of a lava tube cools, it forms a hardened lid that contains the ongoing lava flow beneath the surface in a conduit-shaped passage. Once the flow of lava diminishes, the tunnel may become drained, forming a hollow void.

Deployment and Insertion

This diagram shows the deployment and insertion into the lunar lava tube. In this manner, the habitat is protected from radiation and micrometeorites.

Functional diagram

Section through habitat and lava tube

DESTINATION MOON

LunaMonte is a research base that conducts investigations in the fields of physics and geology. The crew is composed of three scientists, one mechanical engineer and one medical doctor. Their mission is to conduct research and prepare for the arrival of new crew members.

The interior design of the Moon base focuses on comfort and innova tive living. Spending their free time together, the common room is located in the main module, which also serves as a kitchen and dining room. From the common room the crew has a view of Earth as well as the greenhouse. The dining area/kitchen is created as one transformable piece of furniture, of which the table and shelves can be pulled out when necessary. The sleeping quarters offer a special feature, an inflatable live-in-cube. The live-in-cube provides flexibility for various crew activities. The first level is meant to be for relaxing, where one can read, communicate with Earth, etc. The second level provides privacy for sleeping. Each live-in-cube also contains a micro air purifier.

Section

Evaluation

by Marc M. Cohen

The architect presented her concept with a storyboard, at least partially hand-drawn, that was extremely helpful in expressing both the architectural concept and the beginnings of a concept of operations. The LunaMonte was inspired by 1960s projects such as the “Line-inCube,” which seemed a somewhat obscure architectural allusion. The architect provides a complete functional diagram drawn at a habitable house/human scale. LunaMonte was the only project that successfully co nveyed the functional relationships in such a heuristic.

The architectural concept is to locate the habitat or base “partially” in a lava tube. The configuration of modules consists of a combination of a rigid shell multiple berthing adapter-type (MBA) module with berthing ports for three or four other modules. The modules that connect to the MBA are inflatable. Presumably their bladders can be packaged alongside the berthing pressure ports. When inflated, they deploy away from the MBA. It was not clear the degree to which these inflatables are outfitted – whether they have all the internal structure packaged in the uninflated bladder or the crew installs the internal structure and furnishings after deployment.

LunaMonte includes an EVA Access Module attached to the MBA, which provides two pairs of Suitports. It provides also a rover port that connects to the side port of a pressurized rover that resembles the NASA Lunar Electric Rover; the side port is reminiscent of the design for the University of North Da kota EPSCoR rover.

The architect devoted a great deal of attention to detail in the design of the kitchen and the sleep compartment, which was helpful to understand the intended quality and human-scale characteristics of the living environment. The placement of two crew silhouettes in the crosssection of the sleep compartment was a little confusing; it appeared to be a “bunk bed” arrangement for two crewmembers, when in fact it was a single room accommodation.

„Aida Mulic worked on her own and had difficulties in the beginning overcoming traditional thought patterns. She took a lot of effort in studying relevant literature and communicating with us. Her diligence and attention to detail clearly shows in the resulting project.“ [Instructors]

Think Globally - Act Locally

Project by Maximilian Urs Abele and Christian

Heshmatpour

Location near Shackleton Crater

Year 2093

Mission Objective ISRU

Mission Length 2 years + Crew members up to 40

Typology stationary

Specific Characteristics

first permanent Moon base

DESTINATION MOON

Storyboard

In the year 2050 the world will realize that Earth`s resources are nearly exploited. World leaders gather and start an international project to colonize other planets.

A first step will be a robotic mission to the Moon. Independent of political and economic changes on Earth, robots start building up a base.

In the year 2090, based on the previous successful missions, a larger habitat is planned for permanent residents on the Moon. The aim is to create a base with only little or, in the best case, no support from Earth.

Specific Characteristics

The main aim was to design a Moon base that uses the Moon`s natural resources and provides high quality living space for the reside nts.

Long-term missions have special demands. It is important to provide appropriate leisure time activities. Furthermore it is necessary to adapt the housing to the various needs of astronauts.

During long-term missions social needs also have to be considered. The main floor supports these requirements by providing a large variety of possibilities for social interaction.

Evaluation by Marc M. Cohen

The theme of Lunar Village One is “Think Globally – Act Locally.” The proposal focuses on emplacing a habitat within a cave, or somewhere else close to Shackleton Crater. It includes using sintered regolith to create domes and other types of structures made primarily from in situ materials. The goal is to achieve an airtight sintered structure.

The Lunar Village One starts from a good functional layout diagram that assigns functions to each of the major floor areas. The main impleme ntation of this functional arrangement is a central dome with three satellite domes. Each of the satellite domes has a single connection to the main dome; the lack of connection among the secondary domes is a weakness insofar as it does not provide multiple access or dual remote egress.

The architectural plan includes a rover garage with rear hatches, in effect bringing their “parking spaces” with them. Within the larger central dome, the architects locate a “plotted regolith structure,” which seems to serve mainly as a sculptural element. Within the central dome, the crew will live in rectangular living modules that feature foldout internal and external compone nts.

The model shows that the architects achieved a sufficient level of detail in the central dome, including extensive plant gro wth areas. However, the three satellite dome interiors remain unrepresented.

“The group presented an interesting spatial approach for a dome. Unfortunately the potential of the project was not fulfilled.“ [Instructors]

Moon Nomadic

Project by Alexander Kolaritsch and David Lukacs

Location Shackleton Crater

Year 2050

Mission Objective trading

Mission Length -

Crew members 2

Typology mobile

Specific Characteristics

mobile multifunctional units between future outposts

Storyboard Settlement

The first settlements were established in northern Africa - close to fountains or places where precious raw materials could be mined.

Connect

Tribes of the Touareg started to connect these settlements to trade goods between them. For this purpose they used camels and rode them on trading routes.

Reach for more

The sphere of influence of the Touareg trading routes grew larger and larger. They first gained influence in Africa and later traded between cities all over the world.

Think Interplanetary

In 2050 mankind started to build the first populated settlements on the surface of the Moon. Most of these bases were located in and around the Shackleton crater, next to the south pole of the Moon.

RE-connect

Soon after the first s ettleme nts, ‘Moon nomads’ establish symbiotic trading routes between the settlements on the Moon.

Specific Characteristics

The Base

The Moon Nomads lunar base provides shelter for two people on a trading mission so that one of them could move to a lunar base for trading with a rover while the other could stay in the homebase as backup with a second rover. The basic layout of the lunar base consists of two rover modules and two habitat modules. The rover modules are the main working areas. Each of the rovers also serves as bedroom for the astronauts. Also located in the rovers are trading goods and a docking station for the habitat modules. Two cupolas serve as visual connections to the outside world - the front one is also a window for steering. The second one is located on the top of the rover so the astronauts can look at the Earth when in their beds. The two habitat modules include wet areas (sanitary and kitchen) - during particle events their water tanks also serve as storm shields. Medical racks are placed on the walls of the module. A retractable desk and two chairs are placed in racks as well. A retractable node to connect the rover modules as well as an EVA dock is provided.

Travelling and Settling Mode

Every base contains four units, two rover modules and two habitat modules. When the base is in ‘travelling mode’ the two habitat modules are placed below the rover modules. To ensure that the units are still able to move on uneven terrain the ‘legs’ of the rover are about 5 meters long. In ‘settling mode’ the rovers place the habitat modules on the ground and fold their feet so that the base elements can be connected.

DESTINATION MOON

Evaluation by Marc M. Cohen

This concept was based upon the idea of trade routes on the Moon in the future when there are multiple settlements and bases scattered around the surface. The Moon Nomadic base is almost entirely mobile; it draws from a sequence of mobile base and rover concepts that have made an impact upon lunar/Mars exploration thinking over the past quarter century, notably the Habot and the Lunar Electric Rover. To highlight the mobility across empty wastelands, the architects adopted a logo of a camel wearing a spacesuit helmet. This project presented the most “promotional” image of all the conce pts.

The key design is a habitat on a six-legged rover, reminiscent of NASA JPL’s ATHLETE. This Moon Nomadic habitat incorporates a solar storm shelter beneath the water tanks. The pressure vessel module sitting on the ATHLETE derives closely from John Frassinito’s pressurized rover design with the clear glass hemispherical end dome at the driver’s seat. In one version of the concept, the Moon Nomadic consists of two mobile rovers on the ATHLETE-like base plus two stationary modules of essentially the same configuration. These stationary units appear to consist of “tuna can” units that the Moon Nomadic rover carries beneath the deck of the ATHLETE, such that its legs must stand straight up at all times. However, it is not really clear to extent to which this arrangement could actually travel safely and successfully across the lunar topography. Here is where the architects seemed somewhat unsure in their reasoning. If the designer follows the logic articulated in the Habot project, then all the assets become mobile; the entire base moves together in an ensemble.

In the preliminary review, the architects presented the example of trade routes in Eurasia including the Silk Road and the Atlantic sea-lanes

to the Americas and around Africa to India and the Far East. The weakness of this approach was the assumption that trade routes are static. Although this point may seem obscure it goes to an important point for understanding the purpose and application of mobility: in fact the Silk Road and the Atlantic routes did not exist simultaneously. Once the Turkish Empire blocked the overland routes from Europe to China, it gave an impetus to exploration – to find sea routes either east or west to the Indies and China. In the same way, the mobility systems on the surface of the Moon will need to be flexible and responsive to changes in location, operation, and purpose. The reviewer pointed out this error to the architects during the preliminary review, but they retained the mistaken trade route schema and map.

“ Unfortunately the group did not make as much of an effort as they could in developing this project. It is a pity because they had an interesting approach.” [Instructors]

The designers could have done much more to develop the cabin design for the Moon Nomadic rovers. As the drawings were presented, the interiors are represented in a minimal fashion, both in plan and in the interior el evations. The interior el evations are drawn in isolation from the rest of the rover or base module. It would be far more helpful to portray them in a complete transverse building section that would show the relationship to the entry port, hatches, airlocks, and surface.

The Moon Nomadic project raises a paradoxical and somewhat troubling question. Architecture studios generally reward creativity and inn ovation. Space Architecture studios tend to reward designs that are realistic enough to be feasible in

some ideal economy and program. In Moon Nomadic, the architects attempted to make their project as close to a type of professional precedent as they could; they pursued Space Architecture and mobility realism more than the other proje cts. However, the faculty found a serious weakness in Moon Nomadic insofar as the architects borrowed so liberally from existing concepts and systems, but did very little to transform these precedents to serve the design brief or to create their own approach.

myo

Project by Marcus Czech and Elisabeth Lang

Location South pole

Year 2050

Mission Objective Scientific Moon base and spaceport

Mission Length 2050 to 2100

Crew members 6 to 100 (+)

Typology Surface, compatible

Specific Characteristics

Adjustable shell, regolith pillows

DESTINATION MOON

>> Spaceport for journeys to Outer Space <<

The Moon - just a three-days trip from Earthhas challenged mankind for more than 40 years. Current plans focus on long-term and sustainable missions. In the far future the Moon could also serve as an intergalactic space harbour - a node between different worlds, planets and universes. For this we have to start with a small step - our first module MYO.

Site Selection

The Moon base will be situated at the south pole close to the CABEUS CRATER (the most important deposits of frozen water), the MALAPERT MOUNTAIN/CRATER (with suspected deposits of frozen water and mountains more than 8000m high with the possibility of eternal sunlight) and the SHACKLETON CRATER (high crater walls, protection against cosmic and solar radiation).

Function

The first phase of the base will be scientific research, in the future the base is projected to serve as a spaceport. The research objectives are the utilisation of in situ resources and the production of liquid oxygen and fuel.

Organisation

‘Myo’ is delivered to the Moon by an Ariane V rocket in a compact package, ready to be deployed on the lunar surface. Soon after the installation of the first habitat, the Moon base is expanded by the addition of further modulesallowing for a number of different configurations. The modules are connected by a 5-point-node which also contains the docking ports for the rover and the suitports.

Timeline

The project starts in 2050. The lunar lander will land on the surface of the Moon, two weeks later the first module arrives with six astronauts (scientists, one engineer and a physician). Two months later an additional support module arrives that can be re-configured into a scientific research and living module. Six months later an advanced energy module and the greenhouse arrive.

storyboard

phase 1: preparation

- lunar orbit explorer

- moon mapping

- site selection

- robotic preparation

landing of the first module

phase 2: science module

- first module - temporarily inhabited

- telescope / small geoscientific module

- decomposition of the surface (experimental)

- oxygen production (experimental)

- exploration of the nearer surroundings

- building the first science module

building of the first ring

phase 3: operation phase

building of the second ring connecting

- 2 to 3 modules - permanent inhabited

- decomposition of the moon resources

- processing of the moon resources

- experiments for producing food

- implementation of the recycling system

- exploration, longer distances

- development of scientific module

- radiotelescope

phase 4: expansion - the first endependent moonbase

- satellite outputs

- advanced science

- autarkic energysupply

- agriculture

- oxygen production

- observatory

completed expansion spaceport - for explorations to outer space

radial expansion concept

site diagram

more modules landing

DESTINATION MOON

EVA lock for lunar rovers and astronauts

? greenhouse air and food production

research scientific labs

energy supply and life support systems

sleeping and relaxing

usable space

translation

vertical and longitudinal section

possible spaceconfigurations relaxing area because of folding elements there are more flexible spaces space for hygiene

structural concept

DESTINATION MOON

Specific Characteristics

The outer layer

‘Myo’ is based on an inflated element. Covering this volume, which is reminiscent of a ship or submarine, are protective layers. For this purpose we designed a pillow which can be filled with regolith.

A net of plugin nodes on the outer layer serves as an installation point for fixed solar panels, radiators, additional protection shielding, gripper arms and other technical supplies.

Structural concept

The modules are inflatables with docking rings at both ends that connect to rigid nodes. The modules can be re-configured to meet changing requirements.

possible configuration > ring <

possible configuration > stapled <

DESTINATION MOON

Evaluation by Marc M. Cohen

The MYO Space Harbor is a concept for a transit base for travellers to Mars. The architects developed a structural concept for an expandable steel spring-based compression structure. One unique feature of this concept is that it is the only one packaged for a single launch to deliver it to the Moon, on an Ariane 5.

The Ariane 5 would deliver two landers, a small node with five radial ports and five legs, plus the packaged expandable module. The concept for the module is that it has a rigid central axis, portrayed in the model by a wood dowel. To deploy the shell, the module has a mechanism that compresses the ends of the steel spring shell inward along the central axle. Once the compression is completed and secured, the module can dock to the node. Subsequent launches of more Ariane 5s can deliver more modules and nodes.

Geometrically, the expansion concept is both linear and radial. The modules expand by actually shortening along the longitudinal axis, and it is possible to line up multiple modules along the central axis. At the same time, the modules attach radially to five-port node, to extend the base in this radial fashion. The base would expand through adding modules and nodes.

The transverse section of the module shows lots of construction details, including bagged regolith placed around the module for radiation shielding. Over time, the crew or robots would effectively

start of the rocket ariane V packed with the first module

bury the modules under regolith. The architects stated that some of the radial ports would remain exposed outside the regolith cover, but there was some confusion about the number of exposed ports available for crew entry, airlocks, or rover pressure ports.

What was missing from the MYO is an architectural plan that has enough design character and specialization of modules to show an allocation of functions. The spring-expansion modules span horizontally between the hubs in a triangular grid pattern with 72° internal angles. However, a grid p attern does not an architectural plan make. The problem with the 72° angle for the grid is that the areas between the “edges” of the triangles formed by the modules and hubs is that they do not form a clean and complete tessellation.

What is not clear from the design drawings is how the MYO Space Harbor serves its stated purpose of providing a transit point from the Earth to Mars. It does not appear to include any accommodations for visiting space vehicles, no fueling facilities, or accommodations for visiting crews or passengers laying-ov er between flights. Normally, if a project were simply missing an element, the score for that element would be zero. Howeve r, if the concept proclaims the purpose of supporting particular activities and operations, but those functions are completely missing, then it must score a negative for the absence of those eleme nts.

“The first task for the students was to envision a future scenario – leaving them to decide what the larger framework would be. This story then served as a basis for the main task of ‘zooming in’ and concentrating on the habitat itself. In a future studio it would be interesting to develop all other elements as well. They also developed an interesting approach to a flexible space configuration within an inflatable module.”

[Instructors]