It has been a great learning effort for our students to study the Moon, the ways to make it possible for a livable environment there, the resources in situ in order to create an autonomous base, the training an astronaut has to go through and the scientific background they have to master. Their research was finally filtered and combined in order to design their own moon camp.
A great learning achievement has also been for them to learn and handle 3D shapes in order to create a complex 3D model. No matter how tricky, it turned out to be quite a fascinating and creative experience!
Tinkercad Link: https://www.tinkercad.com/things/3i9kyIQKtVz
Welcome to “A.P.O.I.K.I.A.”, our Moon Camp! Apoikia is a Greek word, meaning a permanent establishment for a group of people in a new land. ApoikiA starts with and A and ends with a different A, though both represent space missions with intention of exploring the further unknown, but it has also a symbolic meaning, the one that we end up where we first began, like a dynamic infinite circle of experience and knowledge that keeps growing!
The acronym "A.P.O.I.K.I.A." stands for:
APOLLO - the series of space missions for the lunar exploration that took place during the '70s.
Progress - the technological and scientific advancements that mankind has achieved in the past 60 years
Opportunity - the chance for further space exploration as well as new perspectives relating to the future working industry
International - the ability for an international collaboration under the auspices of scientific development and space exploration
Knowledge - knowledge that is gained in many sectors, such as technology, science, Earth's and our universe's origin
Inspiration - the inspiration given both to the space industry employees, as well as to the students that learn about space industry's achievements and development perspective, get fascinated by it and acknowledge the STEM courses importance in order to be able to study it.
ARTEMIS - the new era of space exploration unfolds. We are living through historical times, when man visits the moon again after almost 6 decades, in order to find resources that are important for our planet, as well as setting the ground for further exploration.
A few words about our project...
Our base includes 3 buildings of which the 2nd is underground, while the 1st and 3rd are overground and are enclosed externally at the bottom by regolith, then by regolith and flexible solar panels for protection and electricity generation and their upper part is made of a special filter-protection glass. In the first building there are on the ground floor the mining and processing areas for ice and minerals, on the 1st floor the areas for production, recycling and water, oxygen and carbon dioxide storage and on the 2nd the greenhouse. In the second building on the -1 floor there are the astronauts' medical center, kitchen and recreation area, while on the -2 floor there are bedrooms and bathrooms. In the third building there is on the ground floor the gym and a repair area, on the 1st floor the research lab and the base control center and on the 2nd floor there is an observatory and a communication center. Outside the base there are robotic mining machines, a robotic lunar railway system, a rocket and three rovers.
Why should an astronaut want to go to the Moon and build a Moon Camp?
The project aims to the colonization and study of the Moon in benefit of the development and well-being of the human species regardless of cultural and geographical origin. Due to its position, the Moon is considered an easy, low-cost destination that favors telecommunications. Also, the installation of astronomical observatories for unobstructed observations at the absence of atmosphere favors the conduct of experiments in realistic "extraterrestrial" conditions that contribute to the wider study of the Solar System. The Moon’s subsoil due to fuel production turns it into an intermediate refueling station and launch base for interstellar travel with reduced energy costs and it’s characterized by an abundance of mineral materials (He3, rare earths, etc.) necessary for the Earth's mining industry and the creation of energy through fusion. Additionally, sunny conditions favor the plants’ cultivation and the solar energy storage. Finally, the Space tourism possibility is a pleasant incentive for us all.
Where to build our Moon Camp? With what criteria should we choose this location?
We chose Shackleton Crater to build our base since it has got many benefits that are useful for our moon camp. Firstly, the lunar poles have got almost constant daylight to produce energy. By extracting water-ice we get oxygen to breathe, water to drink and hydrogen for fuel. Because of how big the crater is, we can use that for protection from meteorites and solar radiation. By setting up the antenna on top of the Malapert Mountain, close to Shackleton, we will be able to have a permanent, direct communication with Earth. Lastly, the location is ideal for astronomical research.
How should we build our Moon Camp? How could we use the Moon's natural resources, and which materials should we bring from Earth?
We decided to build our moon camp by using materials both from earth and moon. Our plan is to build it by a 3D printer constructor brought in parts from earth, in order to create the coat of the base. During the construction of the outer coat of the base, the astronauts will place permanently, for the inside space, a foldable inflatable house, to maintain the normal temperature and pressure conditions for a human being. That way the outer coat will take its shape and also the regolith used for the coat won’t have negative impact on astronauts’ health. From earth, we will bring a recycling system for water and oxygen, flexible solar panels, batteries for energy storage, necessary equipment and tools, and lastly we will bring fuel cells for water and energy storage. Furthermore we will use many materials from the moon; as mentioned earlier, regolith, minerals (ilmenite) and water in solid form (ice) will be extracted from the soil. We will also use solar energy from the moon for the construction and the daily operational needs.
How does our Moon Camp protect and provide shelter to our astronauts against the Moon’s harsh environment?
Our moon camp is built in the Shackleton crater since it has got many benefits for the protection of our base. First of all, the crater’s morphology provides protection from meteorites and solar radiation. This is enhanced by the way we designed and constructed our base. The shape and the arrangement of the areas are such that they provide different levels of safety. For example, the 2/3 of the first and the third building are coated with regolith, while the middle third is covered with flexible solar panels and the upper part is covered by a special filter-protected glass. The second building is built entirely underground, for more protection and safety. The foldable inflatable bases that we will bring from Earth, will provide the ideal conditions of temperature and pressure for a sustainable life inside the domes. All the buildings are ergonomic, as they are interconnected via stairs and elevators, in order for the astronauts to be less exposed to the moon’s environment.
On the Moon, resources are very scarce, but during long Moon missions, astronauts cannot rely on resupply missions from the Earth. How will our Moon Camp provide astronauts with sustainable access to basic needs like water, food, air and power?
To start off, the easiest solution to produce the essential power is to use solar panels on the peak of the Shackleton crater and also on the middle of the base. As for the air, it has to be transferred from the Earth in high-pressure tanks in the beginning. While living on the base, oxygen will be recycled by a special system, like the one used on the ISS. Another source of oxygen comes from water electrolysis, as well as from plant cultivation such as algae and other plants. In terms of water supply, three options can be used alone or in combination; melting the ice from the poles of the moon in high-pressure chambers, extracting water from lunar minerals, such as ilmenite, or recycling liquid waste. The pressure on the moon camp also plays a role, because it has to be similar to the Earth’s air pressure. Finally, for the food supply, special dehydrated food supplies and nutritional supplements, such as spirulina, will be transferred from earth and used until products from our greenhouse become available. These products will be used via a food 3D printer that we will assemble on the moon.
What should we include in your astronaut training program, to help prepare the astronauts for a Moon mission?
An astronaut training program should aim to ensure astronauts safety, high expertise in a variety of sectors, as well as, readiness in crisis situations. The duration should be at least a year long, except for the expertise level of knowledge that depends on the previous years of education and work experience.
For each mission, the astronaut team should consist of members, with expertise each in at least one of the sectors of engineering, science, mathematics, technology, robotics, biology and medicine. They should be submitted in psychometric tests for their psychometric profile.
They should have an expert knowledge of the space program protocols from all the agencies involved in the mission, by the time it takes place. They should have a pilot’s license and be subjected to several hours of high-G training with different types of aircrafts (SpaceX, Boeing, Soyuz). While on Earth, they should take a strict fitness training and participate in simulations about gravity handling, spacewalks, moonwalks, remote robotic system handling, take-off and landing, as well as spacecraft docking. Before their first lunar mission, they should have visited the International Space Station, live there, perform experiments and face the actual difficulties and challenges that space might be lurking.