By 
September 3rd, 2022
Credit: Pneumocell
A novel inflatable lunar habitat design study has been funded by the European Space Agency (ESA).
The concept has been advanced by Vienna, Austria-based Pneumocell. Thomas Herzig is the architect that is specialized in inflatable structures.
This lunar habitat is located in the close vicinity of one of the lunar poles in places where sunlight is almost permanently available.
The habitat will operate self-sufficiently in the long term by producing and recycling its own oxygen and food inside large greenhouses and exclusively by using solar irradiation power.
Key elements
The concept features the combination of:
Prefabricated ultra-light inflatable structures
Covering the inflated structure with a thick layer of local loose regolith is seen as efficient protection from extreme temperature, meteorites and cosmic radiation.
Architect Thomas Herzig.
Credit: Pneumocell
The design uses mirrors that rotate towards the sun and bring visible sunlight into greenhouses.
On top, a hyperbolic truss frame tower holds a mirror membrane that reflects the horizontally arriving sunlight down into an artificial crater, where another cone-shaped mirror directs the sunlight into the toroidal greenhouse. The tower is based on a circular magnetic rail and rotates to follow the direction of the sunlight. In order to simulate night, the mirror is simply turned away from the sun for 5-6 hours within every 24 hour cycle.
The structure is modular. Several modules can form a large Moonbase or even Moon village
Go to this informative video at: https://youtu.be/1rOLgS_StSc
Posted in Space News
Very interesting link, Leonard. They’re really done their homework on the structural, cosmic radiation, plant growth, and thermal balance issues. No need for an exercise centrifuge, either, just go for a jog or bike ride on the outer wall of the torus, 2001-style!