How it'll be: 3D-printed houses and trains
Plans to establish a human colony on the moon took a promising step forward this week when scientists announced they had found the first lunar cave. It could be the site of a lunar base as it provides shelter from the «harsh conditions on the surface» and could facilitate long-term human exploration of the moon.
NASA is pushing ahead with its ambition to build its Artemis base camp on the southern Moon within a decade — but what might it look like?
MailOnline spoke to experts to find out how early settlers might set up camp on our moon and what amenities they might have.
Moon dwellers could live and sleep in 3D-printed homes, or eventually play football on laser-cut pitches in their Prada spacesuits.
As part of NASA's upcoming Artemis III mission, it is planned to land the crew near the south pole of the Moon on a SpaceX ship, writes the Daily Mail.
Eventually, as part of its Artemis program, NASA plans to set up a base camp on the southern part of the moon by the end of this decade.
Space-suited astronauts could ride in lunar buggies with advertising on board or even eventually travel on Scalextric-style trains.
Although NASA is still considering lunar base designs, they will need to protect people from cancer-causing cosmic rays and unforgiving temperatures.
«Conditions on the moon are harsh,» Dr Daniel Brown, associate professor of astronomy at Nottingham Trent University, told MailOnline. «There is no atmosphere to support life, and there are extreme temperatures ranging from extremely cold (think liquid nitrogen) to very hot (above the boiling point of water). on Earth.) Thus, initially it had to be an environment in which it would be possible to create a pressure suitable for breathing, as well as sufficient insulation to maintain a stable comfortable temperature.»
Matthew Cosby, Director of Space developments of the Goonhilly Earth Station, believes that the lunar base will be built in stages, similar to the International Space Station (ISS).
“The first step must be the basics — power supply, communications and safe operations, to ensure a sustainable presence of people and robots on the moon,» he told MailOnline.
These essentials may include living quarters, transportation, and some kind of electricity-generating infrastructure, such as lots of solar panels.
Once deployed on the surface, the architecture will be complemented by a «mix of human and robotic» equipment — «neither» — according to Matthew Cosby.
Accommodations will include beds, toilets , laboratories, exercise equipment to prevent loss of bone and muscle mass.
But what will the building be made of? One option is lunar regolith (lunar soil), which has special reflective properties and can serve as protection against radiation particles, heat and space rocks.
Cosby says: «There has been a significant amount of research into using lunar regolith to build lunar habitats. This is possible either by using it as a source of material for a 3D printed shell, or by covering a habitat created on Earth and sent back to Earth.» to the Moon.»
Dr. Brown believes that NASA should not transport large quantities of earthly materials, such as bricks and steel trusses, to the Moon because it is very expensive.
Living quarters underground , for example, in caves, could be a practical solution, as it would provide additional protection from the unforgiving environment, he added.
With enough protection, the people inside would be able to take off their space suit, possibly designed by Prada, and walk around in normal clothes, as they do on the ISS now.
Dr Brown agreed that the assembly process should be carried out by people and robots. “A lot of things can be done robotically, but at some point it has to be backed up by human interaction,” he said. “So we could first create a small habitat that would allow limited human activity while the larger complex is built.”< /p>
Currently, astronauts on the ISS eat food from small pouches that are pre-moistened and warmed, and which, of course, are cooked on Earth. But since lunar astronauts will spend much more time in space, food may have to be grown on the moon. Lunar menu items could include faux steak grown from beef cells and edible plants that can grow from lunar regolith.
Eventually, once the foundations are in place, the colony could be transformed into a vibrant «lunar city» with spaceports, entertainment venues and even a football field, with markings etched into the lunar soil by lasers.
NASA's Artemis III mission, the first human mission to the Moon in 50 years, aims to land on the southern part of the Moon. Space agencies are generally interested in landing on the southern part of the Moon because of its rich supply of water frozen as ice. It could provide drinking water for lunar explorers and help cool equipment, as well as be processed to produce hydrogen as fuel and oxygen for breathing, writes the Daily Mail.
«Water is the most important requirement for a successful human community on our moon,» Michelle Hanlon, a professor of space law at the University of Mississippi, told MailOnline. «They will need water for themselves and also to grow the plants they will need to survive. They will also want it.» be able to process and split water ice into its constituent parts — hydrogen and oxygen to support them (oxygen), and also create a propulsion system (hydrogen) so that their instruments and other operating equipment can operate even without direct access to sunlight.»
Ultimately, NASA still has many decisions to make regarding how the first lunar base camp will be established as part of the delayed Artemis program.
But this is quickly becoming a cause for concern as NASA plans to have the base established by the end of this decade.
Malcolm McDonald, a space technology engineer at the University of Strathclyde, said he doesn't expect Artemis III (NASA's return to the lunar surface) to happen before 2028, although NASA says this will happen in September 2026.
«A lunar gateway (a space station in lunar orbit) is already being built on earth for the Artemis program,» he told MailOnline. «But I don't think so.» , that before the 2030s they will be seriously engaged in creating a base on the surface of the Moon.»