Building a mining colony on the Moon is a particular design challenge as we need to consider the complex environmental conditions and address the 4 major threats to human habitation: extreme temperature, lack of atmosphere, cosmic radiation and micro-meteorites.
Furthermore, since the core purpose of the habitation is
to mine for Helium-3, the design also needs to take into account the needs of the mining operation.
Helium-3 is found in low concentrations across a large surface area, buried approximately 9-10 feet below
the lunar surface. So to allow for easier mining access, the
proposed design combines a moving structure and a large
drill to create a solution that has two modes of operation:
vehicle mode and working mode. Accordingly the system
can operate as a vehicle to search for Helium-3, and once
located the system can transform into working mode to start
the mining activities.
There are 3 main parts of the structure: the working area, central control area, and the living area. All aspects relating to mining operation including scientific testing and labs are located in the working area. The central control area acts as the brain of the system and manages all the on-board equipment including the driving cab. Finally the living area provides for a high quality living environment that
addresses the mental health needs of the crew. The living
area is isolated from the working area to deal with issues of
noise and general concerns for well-being.
Another feature in the design of the internal programming is the management of injuries. Since moving in a low gravity environment can be hazardous, the design
employs a specially developed magnetic system to counter
this problem and provide a safe working and living environment for the crew. The structure uses aluminium and titanium as its main materials, but this is layered
with carbon fibre and other materials to isolate unwanted
radiation. A membrane layer that holds air pressure in an emergency counters any resultant metal fatigue.