If we are to build a space station on the lunar surface, how would it be designed? How would we ship it, or the materials to build it? There has been talk for years about building living quarters on the moon with rock mined from the moon itself, but that would take heavy equipment and lots of time. The first buildings on the moon might just be inflatable buildings. They would be lightweight and easier to ship than prefab buildings.
The company Pneumocell, which makes inflatables, conducted a study on the feasibility and benefits of inflatable moon buildings. They propose a series of donut-shaped inflatable structures, partially buried in the lunar soil. The buildings would be covered with a substantial layer of lunar regolith (the dust and gravel that cover the lunar surface) to help shield the structures from radiation and extreme temperatures. Parts of these structures would be greenhouses that gather sunlight directed onto them by an array of mirrors to provide heat, energy, and for growing food. Read more about this possible design for lunar living at Universe Today. -via Damn Interesting
(Image credit: ESA/Herzig et al.)
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