All About Lunar Architecture

Jules Verne and other writers and scientists of his time took a look at the Moon and wondered if somehow there could be beings living on it’s surface. In 2020 there very well might be, if the Constellation Program from NASA is a success. The goal is to build a lunar outpost with astronauts living and working on the moon for extended periods of time. In order to do so, however, there has to be an outpost to live in, and that is where lunar architecture comes into play.

A Look At Lunar Architecture

One of the most interesting parts of the entire lunar architecture concept as it is being applied today is that by the time it is in use, everything could be different. The experts hard at work at NASA and other places acknowledge that they are working on something that isn’t going to be put into play for ten years or more, and they know that if some new developments are discovered in technology between now and then they may need to implement them.

The current plan for establishing a base on the moon calls for astronauts to spend week long missions living out of their new Altair Lunar Landers, which will provide them with the life support and supplies they need. The Altair won’t be the only thing landing on the moon with them, however, as the equivalent of freight cars loaded with supplies will dropped on the lunar surface as well, filled to the brim with the building materials needed to create the eventual lunar habitation buildings.

There are artist conceptions now that show these lunar habitats as cylinders laid on their side and connected together, two stories high. By the time the habitats are built, they could look like something else entirely, but the emphasis now is not on what they look like but what they can do.

Cut Off From Earth On The Moon

While the astronauts living on the moon will not be entirely cut off from Earth, they will certainly have to fend for themselves long enough to either get back or get help in the event of something going wrong, and it is a four day trip to the Moon. Astronauts will have to be handy around the house, fixing things as they break and making do with supplies on hand, which is one reason why each trip to the moon will be bringing along extra baggage.

In addition to whatever supplies the current mission will need each trip will bring along with it more of those freight cars filled with computers, building materials, oxygen, food, power, and anything and everything else the lunar explorers will need or might need. The idea is to build a surplus depot that can supply the team of astronauts with the resources to keep them alive and successful in their mission.

Final Thoughts About Lunar Buildins

The state of lunar architecture is definitely one of function over form at the moment, with designers and architects on the project keeping a wide open mind when it comes to advances in technology. While some look at the efforts of lunar architecture and see it as a waste, considering that there are many more places we eventually want to go in space, there are two key reasons why none of the lunar architecture efforts are wasteful. First all the plans currently in play will work just as well for Mars, which is the next planned destination for manned exploration, and second the experience gained on the moon will be invaluable in learning how to live and explore elsewhere in space.

All About Lunar Architecture

A Look At Lunar Architecture

Cut Off From Earth On The Moon

Final Thoughts About Lunar Buildins

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