International Moon Base

Return to the Moon: Regenerative Design for Adaptation

The moon project is one step in a complex process to start populating and exploring the universe. The moon project essentially is a fuel recharge station in the journey to colonize the moon, it will also serve as a residence for tourists and the future moon community. Throughout our research we have explored a variety of options for sustaining life and producing resources to avoid refilling from Earth. The first step that we took in research was analyzing the site location in which we found purpose in beginning life on the moon. To understand the process, we first analyzed the Earth’s faults in why it is dying, its dimenshing orbits, and its threats. As many are aware, the risks of climate change are noticeable and the Earth’s orbits (Leo, Meo, and Geo) are weakening and becoming polluted with “Space Trash”. This then leaves the Earth vulnerable to Asteroids in which notable risks have been discovered where nearly a thousand or more asteroids are reaching earth everyday. To reflect off this discovery, we as a group concluded in looking at different locations on the moon to put the base, the harvesting of asteroids for natural resources, and how we can create a closed loop system in that location.

We found lava tubes within the moon to house our moon base community. The lava tubes provide shelter from debris crashing into the moon’s surface, as well as much more manageable temperature ranges. The moon’s surface has temperatures that range 400 degrees whereas the temperatures within the lava tube only range 150 degrees. This is important and essential for creating a microclimate and for our microbial fuel cells to survive. 

While researching how to successfully create a closed loop system, we came across microbial fuel cells. Microbial fuel cell is a bioelectrochemical device that can generate electricity and clean water from anaerobic oxidation of substrates. When adding organic waste material microbial fuel cells are able to have a higher output of electricity. Throughout our entire moon colony we have several different microbial fuel cell systems to help generate the energy and clean water to help maintain a liveable habitat. One of our main microbial fuel cell systems resides within one of our attractions known as “Luna Park”. This system takes water used in our rotating livestock paddocks, which is full of rich organic matter and transforms it into water that can be used in our aquaponics system, or be sent to a water management system that will further process it to become safe for human consumption. After the water is clean it can be transported through our city to provide clean water to residents of our moon base community. 

In order to sustain life on the moon and provide food to the ships using the lunar base as refuel station, tourists and residents needed to find a way to establish a food system and grow food on the moon. In order to establish the food system we need to bring a variety of plant seeds and animal embryos from earth, as bringing full size plants and animals would be very difficult and not practical based on payload capacity and cost.. Bringing seeds and animal embryos is only half the battle. The moon currently has no bioactivity so in order to grow plants and raise animals there would need to be an establishment of ecological succession, which would take us from a bare cave ground to a mature forest in order to help establish this bioactivity and begin the process creating life and an atmosphere in the lava tubes. A question that is often raised is how can life be established without the most crucial part, the sun? Well when researching we looked at examples from NASA that showed us in zero gravity and low gravity situations, that plants will grow towards light and not rely on gravity. After much research we determined that in order for us to have lighting in our lava tube, we needed to use fiber optic cables to harvest the sunlight on the lunar surface and redirect it into the lava tubes. This will provide the benefits of lighting and the sun without the harsh radiation that the sun gives off. Of course on earth we have the ozone layer that protects us from this harsh radiation but the moon does not have an ozone layer so we need to adapt in order to provide the best life on the lunar base. 

In each housing unit residents and tourists will have personal garden areas to feed those living in the space. We plan to make these aquaponic systems and utilize the microbial fuel cells to filter out toxins. Other food sources will be found in the park areas. We have two edible forest sections as well as domestic livestock to utilize for food and by products. 

Earth is slowly fading and mankind needs a place to take shelter. With further scientific research into lunar housing, we can venture out into the unknown to provide and sustain life on the Moon.

A permanent moon settlement to serve as a resupply station for further exploration of Mars and beyond. Through research, innovative technologies, and design, it will supply a sustainable living community and accommodate visitors as they pass through space.

After some extensive research we were able to distill several design strategies from different case studies and articles to help design the Lunar Base. These design strategies are crucial to maintaining a closed loop system.

The purpose of the moon base is to be a resting station for those traveling to mars to provide housing, fuel, and resources. As wells as provide people with a unique experience to live on the moon.

The docking system of the moon bases is designed in order allow for those traveling to mars to have a place to rest and replenish supplies. Each ship has the capacity of 100 lives, and the docking station can accommodate 5 ships.

The plaza is designed to incorporate biophilia in order to cope with the stress of space traveling. Here people can spend time with nature to relieve stress, anxiety and provide a space where individuals can feel as if they were on earth.

The lunar tubes are inactive cave systems left behind during volcanic eruptions when the moon was in its early stages of development. The cavities are large enough to locate our settlement inside the lava tube. By going below the surface of the moon we are protected from the lack of atmosphere in the moon. Once the settlement is established it acts similar to an enclosed habitat that cycles nutrients through the system

The living quarters aim to provide a comfortable setting. Its features include elements that mimic the living conditions on earth to allow residents to adapt to the new environment. An aquaponic system is incorporated into the housing to give residents the basic elements for self sustaining practices.

Luna Park serves as a retreat to residents and visiting travels. The park is multipurpose as it does not only serve as an amenity but it’s a part of the living system with several different design strategies incorporated.

An immersive experience for individuals to stroll through and experience life in on another planet. Luna Park serves as a retreat for many, while it also produces energy, food, clean water, and manages waste.

Luna Park is a beautiful attraction that connects humans back to earth, it shows that beauty can be productive. The composting center recycles waste to workable soil. The rich plant nutrients and beneficial organisms can contributes to crop production.

Crop Production will be a major factor in our establishment on the moon, Luna Park will allow for that to take place while creating an immersive experience, where residents or tourists can see where their food comes from.

While strolling through the forest residents can take what they like if needed or simply enjoy the lush vegetation that mimics life on earth.

Luna Park will have to go under ecological succession in order to help establish the lush edible forest, crop production, and bio energy production. In order to help keep the cycle stable the research residents will need to incorporate regenerative seeding practices.

A nitrogen cycle must be established in order to help create the cycle of nitrogen fixation to help keep and produce healthy crops and plants that will help in the production of bio energy. Establishing this is a critical step to living on the moon.