Space Dwellings | Looking for equipped accommodation, Moon or Mars sector

Spatial colonial dwellings have been talked about for a while. A starry dream that could take shape in the coming decades, with the first steps planned by NASA’s Artemis program. Even if the design competitions and the university mandates multiply, these lunar houses, and possibly Martians, remain in the state of drafts. What characteristics should they have? We explore the subject with astrophysicists Robert Lamontagne and Marie-Michèle Limoges.

Sylvain Sarrazin
The Press

Little by little, we make our nest

Implanting extraterrestrial habitats, yes, the space agencies are seriously considering it. In Europe, the European Spatial Agency (ESA) is probing the modalities for the construction of a lunar village, while the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is eyeing a lasting establishment on our satellite. This will require a lot of time, money and steps to take, including a first pied-à-terre … in the air, explains Robert Lamontagne, astrophysicist at the University of Montreal. “This will require an orbital station around the Moon, which the United States plans to launch before the end of the decade with the Gateway “, he explains. This relay will then make it possible to consider and facilitate the construction of structures on the lunar ground. “The effort required to deliver large loads to the Moon is not enormous,” notes Mr. Lamontagne. But for Mars, it will be another pair of sleeves…

Marie-Michèle Limoges, director of scientific content and training at the Cosmodome, specifies that NASA is planning two habitable structures on the ground: a sedentary one for four people (Foundation Surface Habitat) and a sort of… motor home (Habitable Mobility Platform). “It would be like a recreational vehicle, a small mobile home that will allow you to move on the Moon”, underlines the one who would not be surprised to see hotels emerge there one day. So many structures whose final design has not yet been presented and will probably be entrusted to private companies, which will serve as basic tools. “These habitation modules will surely be the same for Mars, but updated. »

A prime location

As in real estate, the choice of land is essential. Sought-after assets of the neighborhood: luminosity and proximity to services. “The south pole of the Moon is targeted, for logistical and exploration reasons: exposure to sunlight, facilitation of radio contact. We think there is water there, too, ”lists M^me Limoges. The relief will also be important, and we will not spit on the craters, as we will see later.

Food for thought

What will these houses be made of? Cosmic ice, lunar brick, Martian concrete? “We don’t know yet, but it has to be light and durable. One could think of titanium, carbon alloys, or inflatable elements”, quotes the astrophysicist. An idea of ​​the ESA: to shape the lunar dust on the spot rather than to transport heavy raw materials. However, we have just found, in Germany, volcanic powder with characteristics similar to those of the rock of the Moon; manufacturing tests on Earth can thus be carried out. However, questions remain unanswered as to its insulating power, necessary to protect itself from very harmful cosmic rays.

Make a good impression, in 3D

Currently, entire Earth houses can be built with giant 3D printers. This technology is precisely envisaged by the ESA to assemble its lunar bricks. NASA has also just given a mandate to the University of Sinte Gleska (South Dakota) for the design of 3D habitats that could be used off Earth, and has launched several design competitions in recent years to design shelters. martians.

“3D printing could be handy for repairs,” Ms.^me Limoges. Because if violent winds are excluded on the Moon, deprived of atmosphere, we are not immune to a micrometeorite. In short, it will be necessary to provide solid…

Wanted: character crater

A major enemy of the future lunar or Martian colonist: exposure to cosmic and solar radiation, which could for example cause cancer. The Earth, with its atmosphere and its magnetic field, protects us from this, but this is not the case for the Moon or Mars. “As soon as we move away from the terrestrial environment, the longer our stay, the more we are at risk”, indicates Robert Lamontagne, specifying that this radiation is very penetrating and capable of bypassing a cabin. Reducing this exposure will therefore be one of the key components of buildings. “The solution would involve troglodyte or underground constructions, so that the lunar soil protects us. We could imagine them in craters, crevices or caves”, raises the astrophysicist.

Marie-Michele Limoges goes with an inflated option: the installation of pneumatic water pockets, capable of absorbing heavy particles, already used on machines to fight against radiation.

Un gym, une serre : culture et culturisme

Autre souci spatial : la gravité moindre, qui cause des dérèglements musculaires, osseux et organiques aux corps humains parfaitement adaptés à la gravité terrestre, nous apprend M. Lamontagne. Il faut donc compenser cela par un entraînement régulier. Moralité : un gym avec des modules d’exercices (ressorts et autres mécanismes à résistance) sera à prévoir dans les plans. De même, une serre destinée à l’agriculture spatiale serait la bienvenue, voire indispensable sur Mars, où l’acheminement de vivres sera beaucoup plus coûteux et complexe. « Il va falloir envisager de pouvoir faire pousser leur propre nourriture [aux astronautes]. There won’t be much meat to eat! jokes the astrophysicist, who is thinking of fast-growing seeds. It will also be necessary to find ways to protect these crops from cosmic rays and to assess their impact on human health. The Canadian Space Agency has also carried out hydroponics projects in hostile environments in the Far North and harvested ideas in this vein last year.

stay connected

Another challenge raised by the astrophysicist: the energy supply of a dwelling and its equipment. “On the Moon, with the light of the Sun, it can be fine, we can imagine solar panels. On Mars, it would also work, but you would need larger panels, knowing where to place them and dealing with sandstorms…” You will also have to counter extreme temperatures and be able to generate enough energy and insulation to regulate the thermometer. NASA has already mentioned the installation of a miniature nuclear generator capable of supplying energy to eight homes. As far as oxygen is concerned, researchers from the University of Glasgow announced in 2019 that the lunar soil contains it in large quantities… but in mineral form. It is possible to convert it into breathable air, although the energy-intensive process still needs to be perfected.

But patience will be required before booking your cabin on Mars, because the astrophysicist reminds us that if we are able to send robotic machines there, making a crew survive this long-distance journey while ensuring their subsistence is not not yet possible. It will be necessary to be satisfied, initially, with the modalities of a night in the moonlight – or should we say in the light of the Earth?