NASA LUNAR STATION PROJECT

Members Vicente Emilio José Juan Manuel 2 PAI

Introduction We believe there can be a station were people can live on the moon. We will tell you the main characteristics that a lunar station must have. And what we have to think of when we plan a station.

Transport We will use a vehicle to transport and explore the moon. It has to be 4 wheel all purpose vehicle to be able to move in the rough lunar surface. It must be able to carry a good load in case we need to transport heavy equipment.

The great high lunar plateau is the best place to locate a lunar station because the chances of a meteorite sticking the surface of the moon are lower so is the amount of radiation. Location

Materials It would be very expensive to transport materials from earth. The best is to use materials available on the moon. Even though the moon is poor on Hydrogen, Nitrogen and Carbon it has materials that can be of use and are easy to process like Regolite. Lunar soil is rich in oxides. The most common is silicon dioxide (SiO2), "like beach sand,". Also plentiful are oxides of calcium (CaO), iron (FeO) and magnesium (MgO). Add up all the O's: 43% of the mass of lunar soil is oxygen and can be used for several purposes. NASA is working on a technique that heats lunar soils until they release oxygen. This can eventually be used to our advantage. A new and advanced material called RXF1 based on Polyethylene, that is actually stronger and lighter than aluminum can be transported to the moon at lower costs. Finally Oxygen, metals and other materials could be extracted from the asteroids that crash in the lunar surface.

Communications Compared with other requirements communications are relatively easier to establish due to the vacuum existent in space. Radio signals travel easily in these conditions and make good communication systems. For this to work properly special attention should be put into precisely calibrating the antennas. This has to be the case in both moon and earth stations.

Food and Water The best way to conserve food is dehydrated in cans or special plastic bags. To obtain water a special robot can travel to the north or south poles of the moon to get ice and bring it back to the station where it can be melted. This can also produce oxygen.

Protection against radiation It would be helpful but expensive to use the new electrically charged set of sphere shields and the 40m masts that have been designed by NASA to deviate radiation.

Energy Solar energy will be used in many instances like ovens made with light metallic sheets. Solar panels could provide the station with energy for electric light, computers and to heat water and electric stoves. Some reflection panels could be used to provide light for plants, this could eventually form a small atmosphere.

Space Suits We will use space suits made out off metal parts, nylon and the new material named RXFI. The technology used in space suits to protect astronauts carrying out space walks in direct sunlight is so good that it is now being used to develop protective clothing to safeguard firefighters and steel workers who often work in extremely hot and dangerous conditions

Trash We will compress and brake down the inorganic trash (plastic, metal, glass etc.) then it will be used and transformed into building materials. The organic trash can be used to make compost for the plants.

The first level of the lunar station

Side view

Lunar station

Top view

Conclusion We conclude that it is very difficult to live on the moon. Many things have to be considered. We have to be thankful that on earth we have all these factors to be able to survive.

Bibliography quest.arc.nasa.gov/lunar/outpostchalleng e/aboutmoon.html solarsystem.nasa.gov/moon/profile