5.1 Brief + Program

5.1_ B R I E F + P R O G R A M

This project aims to design a training facility for Astronauts from the National and Private Sector Space Agencies by documenting the required facilities needed for Astronaut training and looking for specific climatic conditions in South Africa that can potentially replicate climatic conditions encountered on Mars. This project aims to be a starting point for SANSA so that South Africa’s very young National Space Agency will start to form part of Space Travel and human-crewed missions. Once Space Travel becomes part of everyday life, for instance, colonies on Mars, the everyday civilian will need some training as well, and this facility aims to aid these civilians and Astronauts in survival and simulation training.

This training facility also aims to aid in survival training as Sutherland has one of the most unique climates in the world with high temperatures during the day and very low temperatures at night. The average temperatures in summer months in South Africa can reach temperatures as high as 29°C to 33°C and lows of 15°C. In winter months, the average daily temperatures in South Africa can go down to 20°C and low temps of 3°C can be reached (The Land, 2017). The climate conditions in Sutherland, South Africa closely mimic climate conditions on Mars for specific times of the yearas shown in the climate study. The project brief and programme were set up by looking at what Astronauts will have to encounter and experience on a daily basis. The programme was taken from the day-to-day experiences from the Astronauts at the Johnsons Space centre and how they execute their missions and testing of equipment. They get briefed on the simulation that will take place on a particular day for a certain timeframe; after the briefing they are shown the equipment and tools that they have available to perform and complete the simulation. The Astronauts are then assisted into their spacesuits and enter the simulation area where they will start the mission.

ABOVE: CHINA’S MARS BASE CAMP. The Sun. 2022. China’s fake Mars base camp lets visitors explore Star Wars style ‘space colony’ in the Gobi desert. [online] Available at: <https://www.thesun.co.uk/ tech/8882814/china-mars-base-camp-space-colony-star-wars/> [Accessed 4 February 2022].

This gives a clear indication that a briefing room is needed as well as a room that is used to monitor and evaluate the Astronauts while they are carrying out the simulation. Another part of the project brief can be formed by referring to the equipment used and built during these simulations. This indicates that a workshop is needed as well as a storage area, for equipment and materials. Heavy machinery will be used, so as to ensure safety and an overall welfare a medical area is needed. Staff who monitor the Astronauts will also perform other activities; therefore, they will need other areas such as offices to do these tasks. This in turn, gives a reason for both the addition of offices and boardrooms. It is essential for people on site to have an area where they can get away from the office and enter a communal space with co-workers. The cafeteria proposed on site is there to tend to this need and in turn give everyone on site a communal area. The proposed site is part of the NRF forum and therefore needs to have a security point so as to ensure public safety, as well as the safety of those working on site.

ABOVE: PARTI DIAGRAM OF AXES AND LINKS. (sketch by author)