NASA recently identified potential landing sites near the moon’s south pole for future manned missions of the Artemis program. But how will astronauts survive and thrive in the harsh Moon environment? A new proposal could help them do just that. Austrian company Pneumo Cell developed the PneumoPlanet inflatable living space concept for monthsCapable of accommodating up to 16 greenhouses and 32 astronauts.

“The PneumoPlanet is an ultralight, inflatable structure covered with regolith that will operate independently, producing and processing its own oxygen and nutrients with solar energy,” said Philipp Glaser, a PhD student at Technische Universität Berlin and co-author of the paper. The research outlining the PneumoPlanet concept, Space.com reported in an email.

“Therefore, it could serve as a permanent lunar outpost and allow it to be used as a base for various future missions,” Glaser said. “Habitat protects against cosmic radiation and micrometeorites, keeping crews safe and allowing for longer missions.”

PneumoPlanet received funding European Space Agency. The new study suggests that the habitat is located near one of the lunar poles, where there is more sunlight given the extremely gentle tilt of the lunar axis. Ideally, PneumoPlanet should be placed near the “permanently shaded region” (PSR), the base of a polar crater that has been in darkness for ages and may therefore contain large amounts of water ice.

The architect and chief designer of PneumoPlanet is Thomas Herzig, who is also the founder and CEO of PneumoCell. Herzig said he was excited about PneumoPlanet and its potential to assist future lunar astronauts, emphasizing that no other habitat concept offers what PneumoPlanet can offer in terms of overall design, particularly in relation to the greenhouse.

“All the effort and energy required to 3D print large walls and ceilings is unnecessary,” Herzig told Space.com in an email. “The most important innovation is the mirrors, which reflect visible sunlight into the greenhouse in the optimal range of wavelengths, while not allowing all harmful particles of radiation to enter. Inside this greenhouse we are able to naturally produce our own oxygen and food. Just from natural sunlight and the conservatory is a natural habitat for the crew.”

As Herzig pointed out rollerThe PneumoPlanet mirrors will be amplified by carbon fiber tubes on a rotating magnetic ring that will follow the direction of sunlight. This would allow natural sunlight to pass through the clear film and enter the greenhouse with 65 kilowatts of energy equivalent to 265 watts per square meter – ideal for photosynthesis, Herzig said. Given that humans are planning to return to the surface of the moon with missions in the next few years ArtemisCould PneumoPlanet be a viable tool for habitats?

“While some beautiful depictions of lunar habitats have been published to attract public attention, there is no permanent and sustainable Moon base that is part of the Artemis mission planned so far,” said Herzig.

He described his current ambitious plan for Artemis, which includes building a small lunar orbiting space station called the Lunar Gateway to send astronauts to the surface and spend the night rovering there for several days. With all that being said, NASA has outlined plans to build some infrastructure potentially near PSR on the lunar surface, including a four-person habitat. Artemis base camp. Herzig also noted that the Gateway won’t have the same shielding benefits from cosmic radiation as the International Space Station because the latter orbits within Earth’s magnetic field.

“It’s a shame to spend all the effort on a lunar space station, instead of building something where you can use the moon’s resources, provide better safety and comfort for the crew, and run experiments and industrial processes on the moon,” said Herzig. “However, as the Artemis mission has been delayed many times, it is possible that NASA will change its mind about the Lunar Gateway and a permanent base on the Moon in the future.”