Moon Base habitat using corrugated panels formed in-situ

[Frank]

Another (possibly silly) idea for a moonbase habitat, hopefully the last for a while:

The latest ideas for moonbase as put forth by ESA is a 3D-printed shell made substantially of lunar regolith.

https://www.space.com/19602-moon-colony-3d-printing-lunar-dirt.html

Robots would be sent ahead of crew landing to build the base out of material sent from earth with in-situ resources.  This seems ambitious to me on the how many things can go wrong front, though I admit it is very cool.

 

So my idea is more pedestrian.  In a previous thread I suggested using landed/crashed propellant tanks

http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/110982-lithobraking-for-lunar-soft-landing-or-habitat-formation

as outer shells for habitat, but after learning how thin the material is I fear it would be too easily deformed.  So start with fresh aluminium or steel roll, possibly pre-cut to built corrugated culverts that are covered by up to 10 m of regolith to protect inhabitant from high-energy cosmic rays.  An added feature is a carport (or Lunar rover port) that is used to reduce damaging cosmic rays on the rover, but also to taper up the thickness of the protective and insulating layer of regolith.

 

http://www.corrugatedsteelculvert.com/Arch-corrugated-steel-culvert-pipe-_831.html

Like the picture but with no bottom to save on launch mass, just a bend at the bottom and screws to hold the panel sections in place.  The culvert would be about 4 m tall and 6 m wide in an arch shape, large enough to put a rover underneath.  Maybe 12 m more or less in length, depending on desired crew area size.

http://psipunk.com/nasa-testing-next-gen-lunar-rover-in-arizona/#more-712

The panels would be corrugated in-situ using a fancier version of this pictured machine,  with variable radius capability and maybe robotic handling or some serious protection for the astronauts' suits.  The whole arch would be a single panel.  Mass estimate is around 100 kg/m for 4 mm aluminium.  Moon weight is less than 20 kg per panel section.  Some fancy robots might able to assemble this beforehand or the crew could maybe take refuge in the rovers until completion.

The rover attachments would be used to cover the habitat with regolith.

An inflatable lining like this one pictured and being developed with similar intentions would form the habitable part of the culvert. 

https://www.space.com/4640-inflatable-moon-base-prototype-heads-south-pole.html

The back of the culvert could attach to a central large dome that could have different purposes such as crop growing area, common area, garage, workshop or could connect to other domes (eventually) with different purposes.  Many culverts could abut in a star shape.  The domes could have ports/skylights as the initial 3D-rendering has.  Moulded composite endcaps for the portals/hatches/doors would finish off the habitat and ensure proper containment of each part.  Similar construction can be used and similar thickness if less regolith is piled on the dome part, maybe only 1 m, otherwise thicker material will be required.

 

 

 

Edited October 25, 2017 by Frank

[Frank]

A moon base garage, a place where dusty lunar equipment is serviced or repaired, would be a pressurized and climate controlled area where access from outdoors would be through an airlock, and interior to garage access would be via a suitport version of a SCAPE suit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suitport

The SCAPE suit would give workers increased access, mobility and dexterity because the suit is neither pressurized nor heated or cooled.  It is a barrier between a dusty and possibly non-breathable atmosphere maintained in the garage.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazmat_suit#Types

 

[Frank]

Here is a rendering of a moon base for 6 crew, 3 rovers, one garage bay and a (small) common area.  The cupola is made of steel or aluminium panels inserted into pre-formed (or later 3D printed) connectors.  Further structures can be build using ISRU metal or regolith bricks from the oxygen extraction process and can have larger common areas.  I put 5 m of regolith based on papers I read, though common thinking of late is that reducing radiation by half with 1 m thickness is enough.  I'm thinking long term stay.  The  ramp(s) that are used to cover the station could later be used for connecting tunnels that pass underground allowing free movement of vehicles between buildings.

 

 

Edited October 31, 2017 by Frank