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Getting a house on the moon is becoming more and more popular these days. There are a lot of advantages to building a house on the moon, including the fact that you can use lunar soil and solar panels to help power your house. There are also options for airlocks and 3D printing.
Solar panels
Putting solar panels for building a house on the moon may sound like a crazy idea, but scientists have started planning ways to make it a reality. In particular, a Japanese firm is designing a 400-kilometer solar panel band around the moon.
One proposed solar panel is a kilometer wide inflatable Mylar mirror that would focus sunlight on a high efficiency solar panel. The mirror is not as effective as the sun, but it is the most efficient way to get a lot of energy from the moon.
The sun produces photons, which can be converted into microwaves. The same can be done on the moon, but the surface of the moon cannot convert that into thermal emissions.
Several companies are currently working on technology to produce solar panels building house on the moon. One company, Solaren, is proposing a photovoltaic farm composed of a kilometer wide inflatable Mylar reflector.
Another company, Regher Solar, has developed a new technology that uses the same materials and methods used to create terrestrial solar panels. The company has been conducting academic research for years at Arizona State University. The company recently raised $10 million to move their technology to orbit.
Lunar soil
Developing lunar soil for building a house on the moon could be a big step in making humans inhabit the lunar surface. The process is similar to the mechanical weathering of basaltic rock on Earth. The difference is that the process involves constant bombardment with protons from the solar wind.
The lunar surface is covered with a thin layer of dust. The dust is electrically charged and sticky. It is not smooth like sand, and it is hard to pack it down. This may be a problem for space suits, and it may interrupt solar power generation.
NASA has already used 842 pounds of lunar soil for scientific research on Earth. This material is called regolith. It is a fine powder with a density of 1.5 grams per cubic centimeter.
Regolith can be used to make bricks and tiles. These can be used to build large buildings, garages and laboratories. They can also be used to insulate against the heat of the sun.
Airlock
Whenever an astronaut builds a home on the moon, he or she must have an airlock. The moon’s atmosphere is very different from Earth’s, so an airlock is necessary for safe passage between different environments.
NASA and NanoRacks are working together to build a commercial airlock for the ISS. The airlock will be the first of its kind for a space station. It will be able to handle a multitude of external payloads. It will also increase the payload volume of the space station, allowing it to deploy a number of satellites.
NanoRacks and NASA have signed a Space Act Agreement that will allow the company to develop the airlock. It will be manufactured by Boeing.
NanoRacks is a leading innovator in the commercial space market. The company has created satellite deployers and standardized research boxes. The company has also partnered with other space companies and educational organizations.
The company has a bold vision for creating free-floating space stations. It hopes to deploy a large number of CubeSats from the ISS.
3D printing
Several companies are aiming to print a house on the moon. These plans could transform the way we build our homes and offer architects more control over projects. Currently, only about 90 percent of the materials needed to build a structure on the moon are available.
A company called Luyten is developing a specialized 3D printer that can be transported to the moon. This printer would be able to build a lunar settlement using lunar materials. A lunar settlement would be a base camp for astronauts, where they could live and work.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has also started developing plans to 3D print a lunar base. Their plan would include the construction of a dome made from modified regolith. This dome would shield astronauts from radiation and micrometeoroids. It would also include a pressurised inflatable to shelter them.
Another company, AI SpaceFactory, has teamed up with NASA to develop a 3D printing technique for a lunar base camp. The company will create a base camp named LINA, which will house astromobiles, telecommunication devices, and habitation modules.
