***[Lunar Outpost Design Challenge]{.underline}***

OXYGEN:

The most important thing to set up an outpost on the moon is oxygen to
breath and for fuel for rockets. Oxygen exists on the moon in plenty. It
is abundantly present in moon rocks and soil. The common methods of
extraction of oxygen from the surface of the moon are:

1.By Pyrolysis.

2.By separating oxygen from the soil by decomposing the oxygen compounds
present in

it.

3.By treating Ilmenite with Hydrogen.

In the first process, moon soil is heated to a temperature of about 2000
degrees centigrade in vacuum. It does not need any raw materials to be
brought from Earth but certainly needs extreme temperature and a hard
vacuum. On the moon, it is not a tough task creating these conditions
but only 20% of the raw material is converted into free oxygen while the
rest forms slag. This may be used as a construction material as it is
rich in metal ores.

In the next process, the oxygen compounds available in the soil such as
oxides are decomposed either by strong heating or passing electric
discharges.

In this process, Ilmenite, a common lunar mineral, is heated with
Hydrogen gas to produce iron, water and titanium dioxide.

![](media/image1.png){width="3.4715277777777778in"
height="0.2777777777777778in"}

The water formed in the above process can be electrolyzed further to
produce oxygen. But this process needs lot of equipment. The process
starts with regolith-handling robots bringing raw moon dust to the pilot
plant. Once the process is going, the hydrogen obtained from
electrolysis of water can be recycled and used for the next load of
ilmenite. But to get it started with an initial supply of hydrogen, the
raw regolith is heated to about 600 degrees C. That will drive off
hydrogen that is used to reduce the first load of lunar soil.

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> ***Lunar Oxygen Pilot Plant***

The robot dumps the moon soil into a hopper, which filters the dust into
the first reaction chamber. Here we use simple solar reflectors to heat
the vessel and drive off the volatile gasses. Heating the vessel
provides the gas pressure we need to move the gasses to the separation
unit, which pumps hydrogen into the hydrogen tank and the rest of the
gasses into the next industrial process down the line.

The regolith and hydrogen are introduced into another chamber where more
solar heating is used to raise the temperature above 900 deg C, where
the hydrogen will reduce ilmenite into iron and rutile. Gaseous water
vapor is pumped on to the electrolysis vessel. If we raise the
temperature above 1,525 deg C, the iron will melt and separate out from
the solids, leaving the rutile behind. The rutile will decompose at
1,640 deg C before it melts.

Electrolysis is simply the process of applying electricity to water to
cause it to separate into oxygen and hydrogen. We use photovoltaic solar
cells to generate the electricity. Each of these gasses will collect at
an opposite pole of the electrolysis apparatus. From there the hydrogen
is pumped into the hydrogen storage tank, where in joins other hydrogen
extract directly from the regolith in the initial heating process. The
oxygen is pumped into a storage tank where it is condensed into liquid
form for use as rocket propellant or introduced into the lunar
settlement\'s life support system.

WATER:

It is known that large cold spots or deposits of ice exist near the
Poles of the moon. If that is true, we may dig up some of the ice
available and simply melt it. But as the supply of water is limited it
has to be used properly and the wastes may be recycled into pure water.

On the earth, wastewater is recycled by:

1.Passing it through layers of sand.

2.Growing algae in ponds.

3.By absorbing it in wetlands or greenhouses..

In this process, wastewater is passed through different layers of soil
where the sewage particles and dirt are left behind and water free from
solid impurities is obtained. Microorganisms consume the leftover.

In the next process, water is treated by a series of ponds teaming with
algae and organisms and fueled by sunlight. After 20 days, water is safe
for reuse and feeds the fish ponds where phytoplankton gobble up
remaining nutrients. Fish are harvested for human consumption and the
sludge from the treatment ponds is used as a fertilizer on agricultural
fields.

The first phase of construction begins with the creation of cinder block
planter boxes for the greenhouse. The cinder block construction here
defines the two rows of planter boxes that will eventually become part
of the greenhouse. With the roof and framing for the wall of the
greenhouse complete (right top) , construction of cell 1 begins. Plastic
lines the bottom of the constructed wetland. The V-shaped soil filters,
which sit on top of the constructed wetland, are framed. The constructed
wetland of cell 1 has been partially filled with gravel and soil.
Framing for the soil filters continues. The soil filters on top of the
constructed wetland of cell 1 have been filled with sand, gravel, and
brick. Work on the constructed wetland of cell 2 (back right) continues.
Cell 1 and cell 2 await more fill and a spring planting. The soil
filters on top of the constructed wetland of cell 1 are given a final
layer of crushed brick. Cell 2 (front) is being filled with additional
sand, and cell 1 (back) is given a top layer of crushed brick. The
greenhouse planter boxes are lined with plastic to prevent water from
leaching into the ground. The planter boxes are full of sand and the
windows have been installed in the greenhouse. The constructed wetland
and three soil filters (raised framed sections front center) of cell 1
are complete and filled with gravel, sand, and crushed brick. Cell 2
(back) is also ready for planting. The 2000-gallon septic tank and the
four pump tanks, which pump water of varying types to the constructed
wetlands, the greenhouse, the landscape features and the toilets, are
ready for operation. The control boxes, which monitor and regulate water
flowing from the septic tanks to the constructed ecosystem, have been
installed.

The water so obtained is generally used to feed fish, flush toilets and
wash vehicles.

Similar methods can be applied on the moon.

FOOD:

Potato

Soyabeans

# Corn

# Wheat

A greenhouse can be constructed to grow plants that yield food and also
act as a source of oxygen. We might generally prefer to have a variety
of foods. So we must choose crops that do not require special conditions
to grow and at the same time give maximum and affordable yield. Health
is not to be compromised.

Plants need nitrogen (at least in the form of nitrates and ammonium) to
produce amino acids and other compounds.  Initial sources of nitrogen
may be available as by-products from the breakdown of some of the fuel
components used to move spacecraft to the moon, such as nitrogen
tetroxide N~2~O~4~(a highly toxic oxidizer which obviously needs to be
modified) and hydrazine N~2~H~4~(a highly toxic fuel source). Plants
also need nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil to convert the nitrogen
into essential compounds.

OUTPOST CONSTRUCTION:

We decided to build our outpost at 73 km wide Peary Crater near the
Moon's North Pole, it is believed that it constantly illuminates.

The advantage of the site is that : the moon unlike Earth spins nearly
vertically with respect to the plane of its orbit around the sun and so
the poles never experience a sunset -- the sun just skims around the
horizon as the moon rotates. This constant light should provide
temperatures of about --50^0^ C and a steady source of energy.

MATERIALS:

We possibly cannot transport raw materials from the earth. So we may use
the things available there. The slag produced from Pyrolysis can be used
as a construction material as it is mainly a glassy and hard material.

The outpost should be a dome shaped structure that can hold earth-like
atmosphere in it. For this, we need to create high pressure, dust and
radiation resistant atmosphere and high oxygen content. In order to
create such an atmosphere, we need to have machines that can create
these conditions. In such a case, the problem will be getting in and
coming out without moving the moon's atmosphere into it or the
earth-like atmosphere out of it. For this, we may have a few chambers in
which the moon's cold dusty atmosphere gradually changes to the pleasant
earth one. The gravity of the moon is also a hard thing to tackle.
Otherwise the people may float inside the outpost too. So the outpost
floor must have high gravity. To protect the people from tremors, the
outpost floor may be made to move or rather vibrate along with the
moon's surface that is, a suspension floor.

ENERGY:

The most abundant source of energy in outer space is the sun. So solar
energy can be used for the various requirements of the people living in
the outpost. The energy can be absorbed by fitting solar panels on or
near the living colony. The energy so received can be converted into
Electricity . The converted Electricity is supplied to Living space as
well as to water plant to extract water crystals from ice-caps..

Since our outpost is situated near the pole nuclear power can be the
best source incase any problem arises with solar energy.

(To produce nuclear power nuclear reactors can be transported from earth
to moon.)

MOVEMENT:

The movement within the outpost would be pretty much like that on the
earth but outside it, that is, on the surface of the moon movement can
be controlled by extra heavy suits to counter balance the utter lack of
gravity. Vehicles that suit to help people travel even on the moon's
surface can be developed.

SPACE SUITS:

During ascent and entry, each crewmember wears special equipment
consisting of a partial pressure suit, a parachute harness assembly, and
a parachute pack. The Suit consists of helmet, communication assembly,
torso, gloves and boots, provides counter pressure and anti exposure
functions in an emergency situation in which the crew must parachute
from the orbiter.

Bio-suit systems( low mass space suits:)

Bio-Suit system can be also used because these suits incorporates a suit
designed to augment a person's biological skin by providing mechanical
counter pressure. The "epidermis" of such a second skin could be applied
in spray-on fashion in the form of an organic, biodegradable layer.

This coating protects an astronaut conducting a spacewalk in extremely
dusty planetary environments. The second skin incorporated into it will
electrically actuate artificial muscle fibres to enhance human strength
and stamina.

The Bio-suit system can also embody communications equipment,
bio-sensors, computers, even climbing gear for spacewalks (i.e., Extra
Vehicular Activities)

TRANSPORTATION:

Special tools called electronic catapults can do transportation of
materials from earth to moon. They launch the heavy material to be
transported as a catapult does small objects.

COMMUNICATION:

This is a major problem as sound does not travel through vacuum and the
moon is full of it. So radio waves can be used instead of sound waves.
Communication from earth to moon and moon to earth can be done through
satellites whereas that on the moon can be carried on through
walkie-talkies or radio kits which works on the moon.

RADIATION:

Slag, the product obtained in pyrolysis can be used as a layer to coat
the surface of outpost as it helps in absorption of radiation. A layer
of water can also serve the purpose but it is hard to keep it from
floating away. Moreover it is hard to find water on the moon's surface.
Spacecraft designers may also use a ship\'s own cryogenic fluids as a
radiation screen by arranging the cargo tanks containing them around
crew compartments. An electrically charged outpost may also be used.

FUEL:

One way of obtaining fuel is from biomasses. This can also be done from
tree trunks and shoots. For this a plant that converts wastes into fuel
for the spacecraft by anaerobic bacterial respiration or using chemicals
should be developed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DESIGN:

The Living space has been built half above the ground and half below the
ground so that Entry , Emergency Exit and Exit are facilitated . further
it is also easy to supply electricity, water and oxygen.

**Entry Point:** we have installed Magnetic Brush where they can clean
the dust and enter into the vacuum cleaning system which clears the
complete moon dust which astronauts carry from here an entry is given to
walk --in to the living space.

Two bathrooms have been provided besides these two rooms through them an
entry is given to main living space

**Oxygen Plant:** It will have its storage as well as supply base along
with oxygen plant. Oxygen is supplied to the Living Space. The waste
material (Slag) that is generated in the process is collected in a
container for construction use.

**Solar Power Plant:** The absorbed Solar power is converted into
Electricity and will be stored in a container through which it will be
supplied to Living quarters and to water plant to extract ice crystals
to make water.

**Water Plant:** This is the place where water is stored and distributed
to Living space.

**Robots:** Robots are used to bring ice caps to the place where water
purifying plant is erected.

**Moon Buggy:** This will be used to move on the surface to go to the
different places on the moon.

**Hangers:** This will be used to keep all the vehicles inside ex: Moon
Buggy