Architectural Visions for an Integrated Habitat
Research Unit of Building
Construction and Design 2 - HB2
Institute of Architecture and Design, TU Wien &
Department of Architecture and Design
College of Engineering, Abu Dhabi University
Lunar Shell – a safe oasis and self-sufficient research base for a long term mission.
The motivation for going on a mission to the moon is to continue exploring and to overcome lunar challenges to achieve secure habitation. Lunar Shell was designed for a crew of 6 members to explore the lunar environment, planetary history and its potential resources. The mission is planned for 2030 to arrive at Lunars’ South Pole at the edge of the Shackleton Crater. The goal is gaining knowledge and supporting diverse scientific disciplines to develop sustainable technologies within a self-sufficient system, such as water recovery and solar energy supply as well as discovering the benefits of local materials. The architectural design is based on the following implemented aspects to create a comfortable living environment for the crew on lunars’ surface: protection, flexibility, sustainability, wellbeing, supporting science and easy maintenance.
“As you walk through the desert of life, may you always find your oasis – a place where you can find safety and sustenance.“ –
Everest HillwalkerOur Lunar Oasis represents the calm during chaos and symbolises vitality, safety, home, comfortability and limitless growth. It is a Microcosmos where life sustains and is surrounded by a cruel environment. This delicate system has to be protected. The shell represents protection for the organisms that live in it.
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Overcoming challenges to achieve secure habitation and understanding lunar environment, planetary history and its potential resources.
• no atmosphere
• severe danger from radiation
• micrometeoroid impacts
• high temperature fluctuations
• rough terrain
Gaining knowledge to supporting science disciplines to develop sustainable technologies in plant science. By Integrating Water recovery and solar energy supply, we focus on a self-sufficient system as well as discovering the benefits of local materials.
A ready construction material found on lunar grounds and can be solar sintered into meaningful interlocking building elements. Using thermal energy, it can be sintered into bricks, blocks, roads and landingpads. Regolith provides protection from radiation and allows people to live for extended periods on the moon.
Fine raw grains are heated into becoming solid materials. Sources are sunlight and regolith. Using laser technology to create precise 3D Objects can be crafted at large scale in dry environments. This method minimizes transport of resources transported from earth and contributes to sustain future exploration on the moon.
The architectural design is based on the following implemented aspects to create a comfortable living environment for the crew on lunars’ surface: protection, flexibility, sustainability, wellbeing, supporting Science and easy maintenance. The habitat is prefabricated as a hardshell module with integrated inflatables to extend more volume.
In addition, to cover itself from harmful impacts, a multilayer construction with Lunar Regolith is necessary for advanced protection. The entrance area provides a shelter-like zone to place suitlocks and charging rovers. This triangular habitat structure is expandable through additional modules to an interconnected network.
Oasis Environment
• atmosphere control, air circulation and recycling
• fully integrated organism within the habitat system
• needs protection from plant disease and contamination
Variety of Oasis Food
• hydroponic system
• small growing cops: herbs, lettuce, radishes
• high growing crops: dwarf tomatoes, capsicum
• high source of energy: potatoes, peas
Crew and Plant Symbiosis
• plant health monitoring and nutrients delivery
• water, air, food for the crew
• closed air loop of CO2 and O2
• dining area where the food grows
The Garden
• gardening as an activity
• crew plant relationship
• positive mental health effects
• symbolises vitality
Integrating a Greenhouse is essential for having an Oasis on the moon. It provides food, cleans the air and brings in gardening activities that have positive mental effects on the crew.
for Engineering
Scientists for Research
Final Location at Lunar South Pole
+ chosen moon site location for diverse gelological Research
+ moon site with 6498% light per Lunar day for unlimited source of solar
A combination of an inflatable torus and a telescopic cylinder were the most effective prefabricable volumes to choose. The inflatabe gives horizontal volume and allows connections to other modules through a connection corridor. The telescopic cylinder is expanding vertically and allows creating different levels for the habitat.
Mission includig robotics can help the crew to set up the module. The athlete robot does exact tracking and can position the module very precisely. Furthermore, the crew prevent exposing to hazards. All in all robots can be built to do things that would be too risky for astronauts.
First: Zoning begins with seperating areas in 4 big groups by activity and noise level:
1. noisy Machine and LSS, getting in and out
2. private and quiet Crew Quarter
3. the social dining Greenhouse
4. moderate noise working zones
Second: The most effective connection between those area is this triangular shape.
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Axonometry of Crew Qarter, Working Area and Greenhouse.
AxonometryofCrewQarter,WorkingAreaandGreenhouse.
Detailed Plans.
The most important aspect of designing the Areas was by giving the crew the most comfortable and home feeling atmosphere. Humans living in a can: Creating a well-being home is a significant parameter of designing a habitat for this crew to prevent mental health instability and physical degradation. Following smart facilities are set to enhance the life in this habitat:
Crew Quarters
• private Sleeping pods
• quiet lounge with a programmed sky projector
• socializing corners
• VR-gym boxes are absorbing noise and sweat
• hammock relaxing zone
Greenhouse
• cooking and dining where the cops are grown
• visual connection of the crew with the plants
• gardening for vital activity and plant relationship
• quiet Lab and research of the plants in the upper level
Working Area
• workshop and equipment
• 3D printing for spare parts
• science research desk and sample analysing
• storing samples and equipment by creating different levels
• seating areas at cupolas for moon surface view
• climbing and group workout zone with gravity zone
This could be a research point at Lunar Shell. Does Lunar Soil or Lunar Regolith filter water like the soil on earth? This can be another sustainable way, to use and integrate local resources in the habitat.
The atmospheric water generator is a device that extracts water from humid ambient air. A ventilation system regulates the flow of the air. With the position of the centerpiece, the generator is placed here, where the can air flow in all modules at the same time efficiently.
The plants in the greenhouse are not only growing food, but also producing Oxygen from used air. There are 3 support columns in each module, where fresh air from the greenhouse flows through and gets released on the top parts of the modules. At the same time, at the bottom part of the support, used air is getting sucked and flows back to the greenhouse. The transport of the air can be integrated in the flooring construction,
Solar Mirrors are attached outside of the Regolith Shell. Sun beams are reflected on the Solar Mirrors parabolic surface. The receiver, filled with a fluid that has a deep freezing point, leads the energy towards the turbine. Here, electricity is generated and is ready to use. At the same time, there is a basalt tank, that stores the heat. In case of an emergency scenario, this heat can be used for energy production.
Like in an organic shell, this centerpiece is the safest place in the habitat. In fact, following facilities are arranged in a systematic way:
• connecting all 3 modules
• same distances from all habitat parts
• getting in and out
• water tanks linked to the hygiene unit
• water walls can be flooded for a safe haven
• LSS (bioreactor, solar still, water collection)
• energy storage with basalt salt
• rover docking station
a project by
Atrio was designed as a research facility that explores the relationship between humans and plants, with an emphasis on discovering the full potential of plant development in a micro-gravity environment. The lunar facility can accommodate six crew members, planned to arrive in 2027, with the goal of constructing an ultima-basis, where the plant research will allow a creation of a self-sustainable settlement and help the inhabitants to reach full nutritional independency from Earth. The implementation of plants in the living areas of the habitat will help to maintain the mental health and reduce stress and anxiety, which can often occur in confined environments. Sustainability and habitability are the main tools, which help us develop an independent and an agreeable living environment on the lunar surface. By improving the physiological, socio-cultural factors, as well as the environmental factors the inhabitants will experience an increase in the quality of life and professional performance, which will be reflected on their overall wellbeing.
Aysha Alkaabi, Merna Ayman, Alma Kugic, Valentina Radic, Fatima Saeed, Khairi Zrik
An oasis on Earth is a testimony of how shear will can force life into nothingness. It is the vibrant, lively green spot in the middle of a dry, dead sandy desert, or a small plant forcing itself through asphalt or concrete. Similarly, a habitat on the moon should be considered the same way, and should deliver the same feeling. The moon is dead, dry and silent. A habitat on its surface should act as a sanctuary, breathing life into this alien, distant environment. It should be a safe haven for those seeking shelter within it.
Much like a desert oasis, a lunar oasis should provide all the requirements for sustaining life on the moon. Additionally, since it is on a completely deserted and alien location, it should offer a sense of security and belongness to those inhabiting it. A lunar oasis feeling like home is key to maintain the mental health of its people. Souvenirs, personal items and even natural elements from earth can aid in emphasizing that emotion, making people feel like they do actually belong to this place, or at least feel like they’re safe at home, even when they’re literally out of their world.
Considering the fact that plants and humans have an unbreakable bond, the main goal is to discover the full potential of the plant development in a partial gravity environment, following the main parameters of habitability and enhancing the human life conditions
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The promotion of habitability following Maslow’s parameters
Encouragement of self-sustainability using ISRU
Sustainability and habitability are the main tools, which will create an agreeable living environment. By improving the physiological, socio-cultural factors the inhabitants will experience an increase in the quality of life and performance, which will be reflected on their overall wellbeing.
Exploration of the envirnoment in order to learn more about evolution and the solar system
Plant research that shall provide an independet and sustainable lunar diet
In-depth research about the human well being in correlation with plants
desire to become the most that one can be
ESTEEM
respect, self-esteem, status, recognition, strenght, freedom
friendship, intimacy, family, sense of connection SAFETY NEEDS
personal security, employment, rescources, health, property
PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS
air, water, food, shelter, sleep, clothing, reproduction
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Once all the essentials of a functioning small society are provided and maintained, creativity and self-expression shall be next qualities to be polished and improved in the lunar base inhabitants. Such features, if grown properly, can further emphasize the feeling of comfort, achievement and belonging no matter how foreign this new frontier could be.
On foreign, hostile lands, order must be maintained. Respect and appreciation among the Moon inhabitants shall always be encouraged to further keep them moving forward in union to achieve the goals behind this expedition.
Since the lunar base inhabitants are already living milions of miles away from their original home, a sense of connection is considered essential in such a foreign environment. Social gathering areas in the lunar base are a must to sustain the need for human connection on a land far away from home.
In order for humans to thrive on the Moon, the lunar base must guarantee a feeling of security for its inhabitants. It should be considered a sanctuary where humans can feel safe and protected.
Much like how an oasis in the desert provides life-saving sustenance in the middle of harsh surrounding, a lunar base has to offer all the basic human needs to make life possible in such an unhabitable environment. If humankind is to make a home on the Moon’s surface, all the essentials like air, water, food and shelter must be provided.
The construction of a long-term lunar baseFor the crew members a home is associated with emotions, and therefore they decide to create the atrio.
Atrio is seen as the main central space, where people can relax, but also interact and socialize with each other.
CONSUMABLES
• Water for the Crew - 1197 kg
• Water for Elecrolysis - 445 kg
• Potential for recycling is 80% The Crew
• Consumption of Oxygen - 210 kg
• Consumption of Water - 1197 kg
• Needed Nitrogen - 210 kg
• Recycling greywater, waste from the crew (urine, respiration steam), and wastewater from the fuel cells
• Recycling is efficient by 80%
• Producing oxygen and hydrogen by performing elecrolysis makes hydrogen fuel cells to use on rovers and it is more efficient than batteries, however fuel cells produce wastewater which can be used later
TheLunarOasisresearchfocusesaroundfourmaintopics,
Thedemandforhabitabilityispresentprocesschanges: Followingthepreliminaryconstraintsrelatedtoshort durationmissions,wenowneedtofacetheconditions oflongdurationandlong-distancemissions.asaresult, habitabilityisneededtosupportperformance.Inorderto createahabitablespace,acertainplanhasbeendrawnup are to be transported and launched into space.
Oneofthemostespeciallycreditedmodelsisgivenby meansofthecontentof“livingAloft,HumanRe-quirements schema.
TheSetting: Thephysicalenvironmentwhereinhuman operatedmissionstakeplaceisexistence-threatingand physically,psychologicallyandsociallydemanding.Thesubcomponentsconsistofactualenvironmentalsituations,the mostimportantofwhicharethelengthofthetask,the type of habitat, commitments, and many others.
The individual: thusfar individualsforspace missionscome
psychologicalandphysicaldisabilitieswereselectedor selectedinvariouscriteriasuchasexperience,knowledge, personalityandmanyothers.Butthesubcomponents consistofmentalandphysicalstate,experience,and behavioural health and cognition.
Thegroupor(Micro)society:Inextra-terrestrialhabitatsa smallgroupofhumansarelivingtogetherinaenormously smallspace.Examplesthat consistofsubcomponents: others. component—theindividual,thewholegroup—aswellas the habitat and technical facilities.Subcomponents consist of:missionlength,changesallthroughthemission,and scheduling
MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION & AUTONOMOUS DEPLOYMENT
Cupola window with hatch
PRIMARY STRUCTURE
Rigid core - Aluminum 2024-T4
• MMOD Layer (Al 2024-T4) 26.5cm
• Load Bearing Layer, Top (Al 2024-T4) 20 mm
• Load Bearing Layer, Front/Back (Al 2024-T4) 80 mm
• Load Bering Layer, Bottom (Al 2024-T4) 125 mm
Integrated stairs and ladder
secondary STRUCTURE
Load-bearing beams
Floor panels
Wall panels
inflatable STRUCTURE
External Layers:
• Dust resisting layer: - Nextel AF-62
• MMOD Shielding: - MLI for thermal control
- MMOD fabric layer layer (Nextel AF-62)
- MMOD lightweight polyurethane foam
Restraint Layer: - Kevlar
Internal Layers:
•Redundand Bladders: - Air Containment Layer
- Bladder Separation Layer (Aramid Kevlar)
- Nomex – meta aramid as inner liner
Compact form
Autonomous deployment process
The prototype greenhouse gets its carbon dioxide from pressurized cylinders, but astronauts in the lunar colony might just breathe it in. Each petal‘s air is controlled each batch. Every petal has a connecting ring that connects it to the habitat air loops.
NUTRITION AND OXYGEN
A viable source of oxygen — the protein-rich algae could someday make up as much as 30 percent of an astronaut’s diet.
The algae-powered bioreactor, called the Photobioreactor, represents a major step toward creating a closed-loop lifesupport system, which could one day sustain astronauts without cargo resupply missions from Earth.
The water cycle begins with freshwater that either be with the astronauts or discover where it is from there. That water is then oxygenated and given nutrient salts. That
of the plants and returning to the system. We can run it in the makeup water for the plants, which transpire it into the atmosphere of the greenhouse, and we condense that atmosphere, and we get clean water.
The crew uses this water for hygiene, water for drinking, and other purposes. Then this wastewater is generated, which goes into the composter, and you harvest this Gray water from the composter‘s atmosphere.
Replacing water-cooled high-pressure sodium (HPS)
prototype lunar greenhouse result in an increased amount of high-quality edible indoor crops while dramatically
(depends on a recent study from NASA ).
NUTRIENT OXYGENATION
COMPOST WASTE INCINERATION
CREW RESPIRATION OXYGEN OXYGEN
CARBON DIOXIDE
ORGANICS FILTER GREENHOUSE
COMPOSTER MICROBIAL RESPIRATION
CARBON DIOXIDE
Figure 4: LED Lights System Figure 3: Atmosphere Recitalization Pathway
Water Mining - Water extracted from the lunar poles may be used to create propellants and provide water to a human settlement on the Moon.
Metal Mining - the lunar soil is enriched in metals in the form of oxides Silicon, aluminum, calcium, iron, magnesium, and titanium make up the bulk of the oxides found in the lunar regolith. Metal extraction from lunar soil is inextricably linked to oxygen extraction, which is required to maintain human life on the Moon because the latter must be removed from minerals by separating the oxide molecules. In situ metals manufacturing, together with other facilities and equipment, maybe a source of raw materials for the construction of spacecraft and rocket structures. Power - Solar concentrators might provide heat for activities such as 3D printing, while photovoltaic arrays could create energy. Lasers might send energy from the bright portions to the shaded sections. Solar-powered electrolyzers might split water into oxygen and hydrogen, which can then be used as a propellant or recombined in fuel cells to generate electricity at night.
Recycling Organic Trash
Anaerobic composting is another method of composting. Anaerobic composting occurs spontaneously in nature when microorganisms decompose organic materials without the need for oxygen, resulting in high-quality anaerobic compost.
Converting waste to fertile soil produces heat which is perfect for long lunar nights and The process of composting anaerobically produces a biogas (e.g. methane and carbon dioxide), bi-product which can be captured and used as an alternative energy or fuel.
plastic and metals can be recycled and used in 3D printing to print safe items for food and medical use and that way it helps to save room and space on the lunar base.
we can get oxygen by electrolysis splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen and also from nature (plants and
the oxygen and storing it. Algae create the most oxygen on the earth and can absorb carbon dioxide. As a result, humans may employ this capacity to minimize carbon dioxide while producing more oxygen.
Figure 5: No Waste Away WASTE MANAGEMENTHB2 | LUNAR OASIS 52
infrastructure deployment
robotic assembly of the habitat
2027
Initial habitat components have been launched to the Moon and are robotically assembled before the arrival of astronauts
2025 Robotically placing the habitat on the Moon surface
arrival of 6 crew members spacex starship Diameter: 9 m EARTH space
Plant research will allow a creatio diet which would help the inhabit nutritional independency fr
In order to plan in advance and develop a sustainable process that minimizes energy, space and resource consumption, a specific timeline has been set. It describes the operations through a time period of 4 years and it is divided in 3 steps.
In the year 2025, the first step called Infrastructure deployment is planned, where initial habitat components are launched to the Moon. The robotic assembly of the habitat is predicted to be done before the arrival of astronauts.
2029 6 astronauts 3 days 386,400 km
ultima basi Food Production Greenhouse
After landing, the habitat is placed on the lunar surface and inflated. A certain amount of regolith is piled around the habitat. Two airlocks and two greenhouse modules are added and connected and finally a layer of regloth is sintered around it as a radiaton protection.
Science Greenhouse
selftlement Crew: Duration: Distance: CaptainEngineer 1 Scientist 1 Scientist 2 Engineer 2 Pilot Inflating the habitat 3D sintering regolith around the habitat Piling up regolith around the habitat Adding an Airlock and two Greenhouse modules Emergency Airlock
The Arrival of 6 crew members is predicted in the year 2027, and their task is going to be to create a self sustainable settlement that has full nutritional independency from Earth. The finalisation of this goal is expected in the year 2029 in the third fase called: Ultima basi.
ATRIO 53
The location that was chosen is the Lunar South Pole, due to it's potential pressence of water in the eternal shadowed craters, almost always available sunlight that casts long shadows, mild temperature differences in comparison to the Moon’s equator, diverse terrain and Earth visibility that is necessary for communication.
More precisely, the Shackleton crater ridge (lat -89.46, lon 175.36) was chosen because it offers best sunlight to darkness ratio. Even during the worst lunar day the longest period of darkness is ~7 Earth days, with shortest periods of light between darkness of ~3 Earth days
Components that are placed on the lunar surface are: inflatable habitat, greenhouses for food production and solar panels for production of elecrtical energy. Water is extracted from the nearby Shackleton crater and oxygen out of regolith. Landing pad is located 1.5 km away, and can be reached with pressurized lunar vehicle.
The greenhouses are separated into two modules: one for food production and the other one for research purposes. The food production greenhouse is connected directly to the kitchen.
The research greenhouse doesn‘t have a direct access. It is controlled through the robotic arm and the space is connected directly to the science lab, allowing a direct examination of the samples.
•When it comes to the selection of the functional plants, one of the most important criteria was the nutritional value and the benefits that they are offering the crew members at the same time various and tasteful meals.
•The main idea is to implement a plant-based diet and through the greenhouse cultivation. In this way the inhabitans will reach a full nutritional independency from Earth.
• As humans, we want to take our cultural values and implement them into new spaces that we explore.
• The herb pallete is selected in the way that their origin and usage is common to several continents.
• It is a way to increase the bond between the lunar base inhabitants, where everybody promotes their own culture, using the common herbs in a specific way.
• Plants are also considered to be a pleasant environment creator, since they produce oxygen and help in the regulation of humidity.
• The implementation of plants in the living areas of the habitat will help to maintain the mental health and reduce stress and anxiety, which can often occur in confined environments.
However a future lunar society might look like, people will spend most of their time indoors. In order for the crew to stay mentally stable over a long period of time it is very important not to feel trapped in a confined space. That’s why one of the main design principles was to create a fluid spatial programm with spaces as open and connected as possible. An open space with visual links between different levels sparks interest and encourages crew communication and motion of the body and contributes to good mental health.
Interior view Library
Interior view
Sleeping Quarter
Greenhouse
Greenhouse
Med La
