Moon base

 

Toby Li

@tobyliiiiiiiiii

SpaceX is now shifting their priorities into building a Moon Base - doing so in less than a decade. This proposal from the ISU involves converting a Starship into a lunar base, Skylab-style. Starship’s ~1000m^ 3 of pressurized volume would result in a copious base.

Arash

@arash_expat

·

12h

What are you geniuses gonna do about radiation?

Toby Li

@tobyliiiiiiiiii

·

12h

Regarding GCR exposure mitigation, it is discovered that lunar regolith layered up to 45 g/cm2 is effective at shielding against heavy ions and decreasing the effective dose equivalent (EDE) (Blunier et al.). Above 105 g/cm2, lunar regolith radiation shielding becomes more effective at a linear rate (Blunier et al.). However, with layers from 45 to 105 g/cm2, the ionizing radiation from GCRs interacting with the regolith shielding produces undesirable secondary particles (Blunier et al.). Analysis from Akisheva and Gourinat (2021) shows that the addition of a 5 cm polyethylene layer reduces the generation of secondary particles, and that, at least of lunar regolith is required to meet the Jamestown Base radiation exposure baseline with this configuration. According to the findings of Akisheva and Gourinat (2021), a 40 cm thick 4.0 g/cm3 compacted lunar regolith will be utilized for GCR exposure mitigation and for greater habitat thermal insulation and lower heating power requirements, as further expanded in Section 6.3 (Akisheva & Gourinat). The shielding requirements derived solely for GCRs are insufficient to protect the crew during intense SEP events. In addition to the baseline habitat shielding described earlier, a SEP storm shelter is needed. Akisheva and Gourinat (2021) indicate that such a shelter requires a minimum of 150 cm of compacted regolith at 2.7 g/cm3and lined with a 5cm polyethylene shelter in order to limit SPE-induced doses to the blood-forming organs below the short-term non-cancer limit of 250 mGy-Eq and remain within NASA’s 30-day effective dose limit of 250 mSv.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gianmarco-Ciocca/publication/356285358_Solutions_for_Construction_of_a_Lunar_Base_A_Proposal_to_Use_the_SpaceX_Starship_as_a_Permanent_Habitat/links/6196665261f0987720af9c6d/Solutions-for-Construction-of-a-Lunar-Base-A-Proposal-to-Use-the-SpaceX-Starship-as-a-Permanent-Habitat.pdf

Returning to the Moon and establishing a permanent human presence is the next step in human space exploration. This necessitates the development of lunar infrastructure up to this task. This contribution presents a framework for rapid, cost-efficient, and supporting construction of a permanent and modular lunar base within the scope of what will be technically and legally feasible today. The proposed concept uses the SpaceX Starship Human Landing System as the foundation for a lunar base. The Starship will be placed horizontally on the lunar surface and transformed into a habitable volume. A workforce of modular rovers will aid astronauts in the construction process, and an array of countermeasures are presented to protect the astronauts from the effects of exposure to radiation, lunar dust, and extended hypogravity. Psychological and psychosocial factors are included to enhance individual well-being and crew dynamics. Physical and cognitive workloads are defined and evaluated to identify effective countermeasures, including specific spacesuit requirements. The proposed construction activities are to be organized as a multinational public-private partnership to establish an international authority, a concept that has been successful on Earth but has yet to be applied to space activities on a multinational level. A roadmap incorporating each part of the construction from human and technical perspectives is outlined. Other aspects that are critical to mission success include the cultural significance of the project, legal aspects, budget, financing, and potential future uses of the base. These solutions rely mainly on existing technologies and limited modifications to the lunar lander vehicle, making it a viable solution for the construction of a lunar base in the near future.