By European Area Agency (ESA).
October 8, 2022.
A vision of a future Moon settlement put together from semi-buried inflatable habitats. Sited next to the lunar poles in areas of near-perpetual solar lighting, mirrors positioned above each habitat would reflect sunlight into greenhouses within the doughnut-shaped habitats. Credit: Pneumocell.
This artists principle portrays a vision of a future Moon settlement assembled from semi-buried inflatable environments. They would be located near the lunar poles in areas of near-perpetual solar illumination. Mirrors placed above each habitat would reflect sunshine into greenhouses within the doughnut-shaped environments.
Pneumocell in Austria, an inflatable structures expert, performed a system research study of an inflatable lunar habitat, based on premade ultralight structures.
When inflated, these habitats would be buried under 4-5 m (13-16 feet) of lunar regolith for protection from radiation and micrometeorites. A truss holding a mirror membrane would be erected above each habitat.
The research study was supported through the Discovery component of ESAs Basic Activities. It happened after Pneumocell sent their idea to the Agencys Open Space Innovation Platform, OSIP, seeking out promising ideas for area research from all possible sources.