Patent ID: 7469864

Claim:
A method for assembling and landing a habitable structure having at least one inflatable module on an extraterrestrial mass, the method comprising the steps of: placing a substantially rigid space module into orbit about the extraterrestrial mass; placing an inflatable space module into orbit about the extraterrestrial mass; inflating the inflatable space module in space; placing at least one central node into orbit about the extraterrestrial mass; placing a plurality of propulsion buses into orbit about the extraterrestrial mass; placing a plurality of connecting nodes into orbit about the extraterrestrial mass; placing a plurality of landing pads into orbit about the extraterrestrial mass; constructing a habitable structure by connecting the substantially rigid space module to the central node, connecting the inflatable space module to the central node, attaching a connecting node to each propulsion bus and a connecting node being attached to an inflatable module, and a connecting node being attached to a substantially rigid module, and connecting a plurality of landing pads on each propulsion bus; and landing the habitable structure on the extraterrestrial mass by remotely controlling the plurality of propulsion busses and landing pads as the habitable structure approaches the surface of the extraterrestrial mass.