Lunar Residential Colony Design Proposal

Jai Kanth Panthail Siddharth Rayaprolu

GITAM University, Visakhapatnam

Table of Contents
1. Executive Summary 2. Why we call it Novus? 3. Lunar Overview: Some key points about the Moon 4. Challenges for a moon settlement 5. Prime Considerations 6. Settlement Location I. Possible locations II. Selected location for Project Novus 7. Settlement Structure and Design 8. Infrastructure and Construction Details I. Stages of construction 9. Materials for settlement structures 10. Types of Buildings I. Temporary Modules II. Novus Residential Modules III. Novus Functional Modules IV. Structural Design V. Arrangement of modules: The Flake VI. Space calculations VII. Surface area calculations VIII. Cost calculations 11. Methods of Construction I. Utilization of Rovers for Site Preparation II. Site preparation by human construction crew III. Installation of inflatable modules 12. Human Factors I. Closed Ecosystem Loop (CEL) II. Food Supply Methods III. Agro-Spheres: Lunar Aeroponics concept IV. Heating Systems V. Illeminite processing and Fuel cell plant VI. Electricity production techniques VII. Countering Health effects of long-term stay in Low gravity 13. References

Executive Summary
Our concept of a lunar settlement envisions a collection of Flakes or sets of hemi-spherical habitation modules located on the northern rims of the Peary crater. The Peary Crater is an impact crater near the lunar North Pole, and offers many advantages like ample solar radiation and relatively ambient temperature. The modules will be made of two layers, a Kevlar outer layer and a polyester inner layer. They will be covered with a 3 meter thick regolith (lunar soil) layer, to protect against radiation, meteoroids and other dangers. Each module will accommodate 5 people, with sufficient space for habitation. Each flake will have 4 residential modules (for habitation) and 2 functional modules, i.e., a total of 6 modules. The functional modules will be utilised to provide basic life-support requirements like food, water, oxygen and electricity. The 6 modules will be connected in a snowflake like design to a central community module, which will be a courtyard of sorts for the occupants of the flake, making their life more bearable in the harsh lunar conditions. The community module will have a health centre, gymnasium, conference room and other creature comforts. It will also serve as the entrance to the entire Flake, having an airlock to facilitate movement between the pressurized interiors of the modules and the vacuum outside. Each module in the flake will have its own pressurization equipment to maintain the required pressure, and the pressurization will be maintained by computers to minimize human errors.

The project will proceed in various stages, starting with remote sensing of the lunar surface, and ending with establishment of all the Flakes. All the stages of the project will utilize some unique methods. For example, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) will fly around the project site to collect valuable data. And unmanned rovers will be used as much as possible to minimize human effort. Even when considerable human effort is required, the rovers will assist in construction. To reduce payload costs, the same rovers will be used for multiple tasks with the help of Swappable attachments, i.e., the use of different equipment with the same rover.

The inflatable modules will be transported from earth in a prefabricated state, ready for quick installation. They will be pressurized to the required levels, and then connected to each other using similarly pressurized cylindrical walkways. This will form the Flake, the nucleus of our project. Regolith layering will be done of all the modules and walkways to protect against micro-meteoroid impact and radiation. The regolith will also take care of providing thermal insulation to the modules, bringing up the temperature from the -50 degrees Celsius at Peary Crater to more comfortable levels.

Various human requirements like oxygen, water, electricity and food will be taken care by a Closed Ecosystem Loop (CEL), which will utilize In-situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) to effectively use materials available on the moon. Lunar soil (regolith) will be processed to obtain a substance called Illeminite, from which hydrogen and oxygen can be created. The Illeminite will be subjected to a Fuel Cell treatment, to obtain oxygen, water and electricity. The water will be used for consumption by the residents, and the oxygen will be pumped into the modules to support life.

The major portion of electricity will be generated in Solar farms located at Peaks of Eternal Light, which are elevated areas having solar illumination for durations of more than 90%. These farms will contain a large number of solar panels, and a number of such farms can guarantee uninterrupted power supply to the settlement. Even if one farm does not function due to some reason, power supply will not be hindered. All the Solar farms will transmit power wirelessly to a Power Station located at the settlement, which will then distribute power to all the modules as necessary. Food will be grown aeroponically, i.e., in an air or mist environment without the use of soil or an aggregate medium. This is necessary because the lunar soil is not conducive to plant growth, as it does not have the required consistency and nutrients. Aeroponics also ensures much higher yields compared to traditional growing methods, requires lesser inputs. The water necessary for food production will be obtained by processing human wastes such as urine and bath water, therefore taking care of waste disposal. Moreover, nutrients required for the crops will obtained by composting human excreta and other organic wastes to produce manure. Plants also need Carbon Dioxide for Photo-Synthesis, and this will be processed from air exhaled by the residents. The entire process of processing of wastes and growing of crops will be done in a module called Agro-Sphere, and such a module will be attached to every Flake. Therefore, each Flake will be self-sufficient regarding food, oxygen and water production.

Temperature at the project site is expected to be around -50 degrees Celsius. Therefore, terrestrial heating systems with modifications for lunar conditions will be sufficient. After oxygen is produced in the Illeminite processing plant, it will be heated to an ambient temperature and pumped into all the modules. This will help in maintaining the temperature at comfortable levels. Further heating, if necessary, will be provided by the use of portable heaters in each of the modules.

Health effects of long-term stay in low-gravity like bone-density loss and muscle weakness will be countered by ensuring a regular regime of exercise and balanced diet for the residents. As mentioned earlier, every Flake will have a gymnasium and health centre for this purpose. The possibility of creating artificial gravity was considered, but the idea was abandoned because it would not be economically feasible, at least in the initial stages of the settlement.

The total cost of the project can be mainly split up into construction material costs, rocket payload costs, equipment costs and maintenance costs. The low density materials used (Kevlar and Polyster) will atleast ensure that payload costs are as minimal as possible. Also, cost of polymeric materials is expected to go down reasonably in the next few decades. Maintenance costs will also be reduced due to the regolith layer, which will reduce damage to the modules. Therefore, the overall cost of the project will be under affordable levels.

Why we call it Novus?

Novus means New in Latin, and we feel that it perfectly conveys the essence of our project. Establishing a colony on the moon is essentially about conquering new frontiers, and also about reinventing the way we think. Everything is new, right from the way the structures have to be designed, to how basic human essentials like food, water, oxygen etc have to be provided. Also, this project will be an important milestone for the human race, no less than when Neil Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface and brought joy to billions worldwide. Novus Initium or New Beginnings is what this project represents, and we hope the spirit of mankind will be carried forward to space, and beyond.

Lunar Overview: Some key points about the moon

Surface Characteristics:
The surface of the Moon has two hemispheres with rather asymmetric properties; therefore the nature of the lunar surface that we can see from the Earth is substantially different from the surface that is always hidden from the Earth.

Near Side of the Moon:

The face of the Moon turned toward us is termed the near side. It is divided into light areas called the Lunar Highlands and darker areas called Maria (literally, "seas"; the singular is Mare).

Figure 1: An image showing the lunar nearside with major Maria and craters labelled.

The Maria are lower in altitude than the Highlands. The dark material that fills the Maria is composed of solidified lava from earlier periods of lunar volcanism. There are many impact craters in the Highlands.

Far Side of the Moon:

The side of the Moon unseen from the Earth is called the far side. The far side has a very different appearance than the near side. There are almost no Maria on the far side. The Far side has a large number of impact craters

Figure 2: A Photo of the far side of the moon, taken by Apollo 16 Astronauts

Lunar Surface Material:

The bulk density of the Moon is 3.4 g/cc The Moon is covered with a gently rolling layer of powdery soil with scattered rocks, that is called Regolith Each well-preserved lunar crater is surrounded by a sheet of ejected material called the ejecta blanket.

Lunar Geology:

Elements known to be present on the lunar surface include, among others, oxygen (O), silicon (Si), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), aluminium (Al), manganese (Mn) and titanium (Ti).

Most abundant elements are Oxygen, Iron and Silicon Oxygen content in the lunar soil is estimated to be 45%

General Characteristics:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

The moon's diameter is about 2,160 miles (3,476 km) at its equator. The moon has about 1/81 the mass of the earth and is 3/5 as dense. The force of gravitation is about 1/6 that on earth. The surface temperature rises above 100C (212F) at lunar noon and sinks below -155C (-247F) at night. The distance from the earth to the moon is approximately 384,400 km

Challenges for a moon settlement

The lunar surface presents a very unique set of challenges. Any lunar settlement will have to find successful solutions to all these challenges. The various problems related to building a lunar settlement are given below:
1.

Extreme temperatures, unlike any found on earth. The temperatures on the moons surface can range between 123 C (253 F) and -153 C (243 F).

2.

Relationships between severe lunar temperature cycles and structural and material fatigue, a problem for exposed structures.

3. 4.

Buckling, stiffening, and bracing requirements for lunar structures that will be internally pressurized. Possibility of failure due to previously unknown reasons, such as those due to high velocity micrometeorite impacts.

5. 6.

Reliability and risk must be major components of lunar structures. Moon dust is an extremely abrasive glassy substance formed by micrometeorites and unrounded due to the lack of weathering. It sticks to everything and can damage equipment, and it may be toxic.

7. 8. 9.

High outward forces from pressurized habitats Material brittleness at very low temperatures Cumulative abrasion by high energy cosmic rays and solar wind particles

Prime Considerations
Project Novus focuses mainly on a few important aspects of establishing a lunar colony. It was assumed that finding the solutions to these problems would be the primary precondition. The main aspects are:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Safety of the occupants Reliability and durability of the settlement structures Cost of construction Economy of transportation of materials from Earth Ease of construction Protection from the vacuum-like conditions of the lunar surface Protection from micro-meteorite and moon dust Protection from solar wind and other forms of radiation Provision of necessary resources for human survival (Oxygen, Water, Food etc)

10. Use of ISRU (In-Situ Resource Utilization) wherever possible 11. High energy efficiency to insure minimum loss of heat.

Settlement Location
In our design proposal, we have considered the location of the settlement on the lunar surface to be one of the most important factors which will ensure the success of the project. An ideal location is important for many reasons. Primarily, the success of any major construction project depends upon its efficiency. Also, optimum utilization of available resources is essential to ensure that costs do not sky-rocket. Also, one of the most important factors is the safety of the occupants. Any proposal that does not ensure the well-being of the future occupants is like a time-bomb ticking slowly, waiting to go off. All the above factors heavily depend on choosing an ideal location. We considered three possible locations on the moon for establishing the base. This list is definitely not exhaustive, and there might be other choices for the settlement location. But the three options that we evaluated are listed below, along with their respective advantages and disadvantages:

Possible Locations
Possible Location 1: Above surface location (Equatorial Region) Advantages:
1. Easy Access from any orbit (Equatorial sites are accessible from both lunar and Equatorial orbits) 2. Possibly higher Helium-3 concentrations (For future mining)

Disadvantages:
1. Access to sunlight is not constant (No sunlight during 354-hour long nights) 2. Surface location means enhanced danger from micro-meteoroids and solar wind. 3. Temperatures can fluctuate between -153 degrees Celsius and 123 degrees Celsius.

Possible Location 2: Above surface location (Polar Region) Advantages:

1. Sunlight availability is better than equatorial regions (Some regions have almost uninterrupted sunlight; settlements could be powered by solar power alone) 2. Temperature fluctuations are very minimal (An average -50 degrees Celsius at some locations) 3. Lunar craters are possible locations for ice (water), hydrogen and other volatiles 4. Lunar crater rims offer additional advantages

Disadvantages:
1. Solar wind activity might be higher, meaning increased radiation effects on equipment and structures 2. The lunar poles are only accessible from lunar orbits

Possible Location 3: Inside Lava Tubes

Lunar lava tubes are underground tunnels on the Moon, possibly formed because of basaltic lava flows. When the surface of a lava tube cools, it forms a hardened lid that contains the ongoing lava flow beneath the surface in a conduitshaped passage. Once the flow of lava diminishes, the tunnel may become drained, forming a hollow void. These voids have been proposed as possible locations for setting up human settlements on the moon. They also have certain advantages and disadvantages, as described below:

Advantages:
1. Natural protection from micro-meteoroids and radiation 2. Temperature variations are minimal inside the lava tubes 3. Lava tubes already exist, so only excavation and pressurization is necessary

Disadvantages:
1. Access to the surface might be difficult 2. Extensive excavation might be necessary to create entry points 3. Risk of disaster by catastrophic de-pressurization if collapse of lava tube occurs (Considering the tube itself if pressurized) 4. Access to light for food-production might be difficult.

Selected location for Project Novus: Peary Crater northern rims, Lunar North Pole
In the above section, we discussed the three options that we evaluated as possible locations for the settlement. Each of the options had its own pros and cons, and Peary Crater was chosen by evaluating the various locations against our project parameters.

For example, lava tubes offer a pre-fabricated vault, composed of hard basalt ceilings, which can protect against radiation and micro-meteoroids. Temperature fluctuations are also minimal. Moreover, sealing and pressurizing the lava-tubes will allow the settlers to function unhindered in a larger space, without worrying about air-locks in individual structures. But doing so will require use of high-quality sealing material to prevent depressurization, and that will involve transporting large quantities of such material from earth, which is economically non-viable. Even if the lava tubes are not pressurized and just used as shelters for the structures, large amounts of ground excavation will be required to create entry and exit points. Also, access to the surface might be an issue. And in case sunlight is required for growing plants, artificial light gathering means like using optical fibres will be necessary. This will again add to the project cost, which we felt was un-necessary.

We envisioned that our project will utilize ISRU (In-situ Resource Utilization) to the maximum possible extent, and energy generation with ISRU was our top-most priority. Solar energy seemed like the most obvious choice, and we therefore needed a location with almost constant illumination. Also, ample amount of sunlight would keep thermal insulation costs down, and help in agriculture. Finally, we needed a location that was close to possible locations of water and hydrogen, in case they were found in the future. Taking all the above conditions in into account, Peary Crater, located near the lunar North Pole at coordinates 8836N 3300E was chosen as the project site. This particular location is not unheard of, and has in fact been discussed as a possible location for lunar settlements in many other papers, which further points out its suitability. Large quantities of survey data exists for this particular location, including that gathered by the Chandrayaan mission.

A remote sensing image showing Peary Crater

We propose the construction of Project Novus on the northern rims of Peary Crater, very close to the Lunar North Pole. Some of the advantages of this location are:

Near constant illumination, with some locations being almost constantly in sunlight (Peaks of eternal light). Such areas will be used for generation of solar power.

An illumination map showing Peary Crater. Areas in red have more than 90% illumination, and can provide almost uninterrupted power supply. Some regions have a constant temperature close to -50 degrees Celsius, which is comparatively better than the lunar surface extremes, and close to that offered by lava tubes

Agriculture will be easier, since sunlight is available constantly.

The Peary crater is a possible location for finding water on the moon. If water is found, and can be obtained economically, the operation of the settlement will become easier. Therefore, it makes sense to place the settlement near a possible water source.

Settlement Structure and Design

Key Terms: Flake: Refer Types of Buildings Solar Farm: Refer Electricity Production Techniques Electricity Station: Refer Electricity Production Techniques Peary Crater: Refer Settlement Location

The plan in the next page is a conceptual look of how the settlement might look. Please note that there might be changes once the project is executed.

A conceptual plan of the entire settlement The above plan provides a basic idea of what we think the settlement will look like after construction is done. A brief description is given about each of the components in the plan, but for details, refer to the respective sections of the paper. Modules: 1. There will be a total of 37 hemi-spherical modules. 2. 35 modules will be arranged in a snow-flake design, resulting in 5 Flakes. 3. There will be 1 Electricity Station and 1 Communications Station Refer to Types of Buildings and Human Factors for descriptions about the modules and their functions respectively. Solar Farms 1. Solar panels will be installed in a farm like design, as explained under Electricity Production Techniques. 2. The Power station will act as the receiver and transmitter of electricity to the habitation modules. Roads 1. The settlement will have two roads, basically smooth paths constructed by automated rovers. 2. The purpose of the roads is to make movement of both humans and rovers easier between each of the residential modules, as well as the power station and communications centre.

Five Flakes are shown, along with two other modules (Communications centre and Power station)

Infrastructure and Construction Details

Stages of construction

The main ideal of Project Novus is to minimize the need for human involvement to the maximum extent possible. Therefore, the project will involve the use of manual/ automated rovers and equipment. The various stages of the project will be:

1. Remote Sensing of the moon

Although large amounts of data have been collected from previous moon missions, Project Novus will involve the launch of a mission-specific orbiter into lunar orbit. The orbiter will contain various equipments, to comprehensively survey and map the moon.

The various instruments on the orbiter: 1. Terrain Mapping Camera 2. Lunar Ranging Instrument 3. Radiation measuring instruments

Also, the orbiter will launch a remotely-controlled UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) to study the surface characteristics of the project site. The UAV concept is explained below.

Remotely Piloted UAV (Fly-Recon): Project Novus will use Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for studying the surface characteristics of the settlement site. UAVs have seen extensive use on Earth for various purposes like military, scientific research, aerial surveys etc. On the hospitable terrain of the moon, extensive surveys with terrestrial vehicles (rovers, buggies etc) would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, in the early stages of the project. Therefore, mapping of minute surface characteristics like valleys, craters, rugged terrain etc can be done using UAVs, and the information can be transmitted back to earth.

Project Novus will use the rims of the Peary crater, located near the lunar North Pole, as the settlement site. The surface at this location is somewhat rugged, and a proper study of the surface features is necessary to guarantee smooth construction. This further increases the need for a surface-hugging reconnaissance system like an UAV.

Although the use of an UAV to study lunar features has been proposed in various research papers, the viability of the venture will depend upon designing a suitable UAV that can function in the lunar conditions of vacuum and extreme temperatures and radiation. Also, suitable propulsion has to be decided upon. The propulsion system should enable the UAV to fly over the project site for extended periods, for multiple months if possible.

Operation of UAV in Oxygen Free Environment: In an oxygen-free environment like the moon, Earth-style combustion power and propulsion systems will not work. Therefore, the UAV will need to use an oxygen-independent system, based on either nuclear or solar energy. Our UAV will utilize a mix of both nuclear and solar energy, i.e., a hybrid propulsion system .The availability of continuous solar power is not possible, considering the long lunar night, so the nuclear reactor will be the power source during such periods. We propose the use of a Radioisotope thermoelectric generator based power source in addition to the solar panels. RTGs are lightweight, compact power systems that are extraordinarily reliable. They have no moving parts, and are hence more suitable for use in vacuum-like conditions. They use neither fission nor fusion processes to produce energy. Instead, they provide power through the natural radioactive decay of plutonium (mostly Pu-238, a non-weapons-grade isotope). The heat generated by this natural process is changed into electricity by solid-state thermoelectric converters.

2. Unmanned exploration
The location for Project Novus, the northern rims of Peary crater, has been surveyed aerially during both the Chandrayaan missions. Also, as explained earlier, extensive remote sensing will be done by an orbiter and UAV as part of

the mission. But we believe that getting data from the surface is also important. Therefore, unmanned robotic rovers will land on the lunar surface, and conduct on-the-ground surveying. A lander will touch down on the lunar surface close to the project site, and rovers will be launched from the Lander. The rovers will proceed to the project site, and conduct the necessary reconnaissance. They will then beam back the collected data to the Lander, which will forward it to the orbiter. The orbiter will send the data to earth, where it will be analysed by high-power supercomputers capable of creating good quality maps and 3D models, which will be useful for planning the project.

3. Site Preparation by unmanned Rovers

The project site is a reasonably rugged area, as it is located at the rims of an impact crater. Therefore, we can expect that the ground will be not suitable for construction right away. A preliminary site-preparation, such as digging and levelling will be required. As mentioned in the section Stages of Construction, after the remote sensing and ground survey is done, remote-controlled rovers will land at the project site. These rovers will be controlled from earth, and will be semi-autonomous, i.e., although important commands have to be given by humans, they will be capable of operating on their own. The rovers will be capable of levelling the ground at the project site, to create a plateau or flat ground for the project. The rovers will also be capable of removing large rocks and other undesirable materials from the project site. Therefore, the rovers will be of various types like 'Bulldozing' rovers, 'Excavating' rovers, 'Drilling rovers' rovers etc.

4. Initial preparation on Earth

The project will involve the transportation of considerable amounts of construction materials and equipment to the moon. Therefore, the initial preparations on the Earth are of utmost importance. ISROs PSLV, especially the XL variant, has been the mainstay of Indias lunar launch capability. Therefore, we propose the use of the same launch vehicle for this mission. If an improved version of PSLV-X is available by the launch date, it can be used.

PSLV-XL Characteristics: Payload : 1800 kg No of boosters: 6 No of engines: 1 (Solid)

5. Payload and initial construction crew is launched to lunar orbit

The payload, comprising the inflatable modules, construction equipment, rovers, excavators etc. will be launched to lunar orbit. An initial construction crew will accompany the payload. The crew will comprise personnel trained in survey, excavation, site preparation, and erection of inflatable modules and solar panels. The orbiter carrying the payload and crew will stay in lunar orbit till the 'go-signal' is given by mission control on earth. A polar orbit shall be preferred as it will enable easy landing at Peary Crater.

6. Initial construction crew lands and temporary modules are set up

When conditions are deemed to be most favorable, the crew will land at the Peary crater. The temporary modules will be immediately set-up near the project site. Since the temporary modules will be derived from the Lander and its fuel tanks, this process will not take a lot of time. This work site will be the Control Center for all construction activities till the first permanent modules are established.

7. Site preparation and basic construction is done

As the site for Project Novus is located on the rims of a crater, the site is expected to be reasonably rugged, with undulating ground features. Therefore, outright construction is not possible and basic site preparation like excavation, drilling, removal of large rocks etc needs to be done. As unmanned site preparation has been done earlier, minimal effort will be required on the part of human crew. Both the processes have been explained in detail under 'Methods of Construction'.

8. Solar Panels are installed

Solar power will be the mainstay of Project Novus, and ample sunlight availability at Peary crater is one of the reasons why the project site is located at the particular location. There are certain elevated regions located on the rims of the crater, called 'Peaks of Eternal light'. As explained earlier, these sites have ample sunlight for duration of more than 90% of the year, guaranteeing ample power supply if solar panels can be installed. Solar farms, comprising of a large number of solar panels, will be installed at these sites. The construction will be done by the crew, using robotic rovers. This will reduce installation time by a large extent. A power station will be installed at the settlement, and the solar panels will be linked to it. The concept of power generation and transmission is explained under the section 'Power Generation Techniques'.

9. Regolith processing plant is established

Sufficient protection from radiation and micro-meteoroids needs to be provided to the habitation modules from the very beginning. Therefore, a pilot regolith processing plant will be established by the initial crew.

This plant will process the lunar soil to produce regolith suitable to be placed on the permanent habitation modules. As estimates for regolith required providing sufficient protection range from 2.5 to 3 meters thickness (citation), the processing plant will be able to handle such requirements. The processing plant will be ideally situated inside a temporary module (Lander, fuel tank etc), as this will eliminate the need to provide protection to the plant itself.

10. Initial construction crew leave and second crew arrives

After the regolith processing plant is installed, the initial crew will leave the moon. Only a few members of the initial party will remain at the work site to supervise the new crew, as their experience will be vital. The second crew will land before the first crew leaves, to ensure that there is no break in work. The second crew will also use temporary modules for habitation.

11. First Flake is established (Established, regolith layered, pressurized)

The first flake (Flake-1) will be installed at the project site by the construction crew. The exact process is explained under 'Methods of Construction', but basically the inflatable modules will be placed at their exact positions and pressurized. The modules will be connected to each other by pressurized cylindrical walkways. Also, the 3-metre thick regolith layer will be placed on all the modules. This process is explained under 'Radiation and Impact Protection'. After Flake-1 is established, part of the construction crew will conduct safety checks related to regolith placement and pressurization. If all components function normally, the crew will shift to the permanent modules.

12. Illeminite Processing equipment and Agro-Sphere are installed in the Flake As explained under 'Types of Buildings', each Flake will have two Functional Modules (NFMs), one for the Illeminite Processing/Fuel Cell, and the other for Food production/Waste treatment (Agro-Sphere). After both the modules are established, the necessary equipment and machinery will be installed. Operations will begin, so that oxygen, water and food supplies can be supplemented. The concepts of Illeminite Processing and Agro-Spheres are explained under 'Human Factors'.

13. Second Flake (Flake-2) is established The entire process of installation of the Flake and functional equipment is repeated again. The construction crew will conduct safety checks on Flake-2 and shift into it.

14. Initial occupants arrive and occupy Flake-1

A batch of the permanent occupants of the settlement will land on the moon. Also, a third set of construction crew will arrive to replace/replenish the second set. The permanent occupants will occupy Flake-1 after safety checks are conducted.

15. Flake-3, Flake-4 and Flake-5 are established

The other Flakes will be constructed in the same way as Flake-1 and Flake-2. Functional facilities (food production, oxygen, water etc) will be provided in each Flake, such that it becomes almost self-sufficient, The construction crew will gradually leave, and the permanent settlers will arrive and occupy the modules. A batch of maintenance crew will stay at the settlement at all times to undertake repairs if required. But the entire population of the settlement will not exceed 100 at any time. This limit has to be imposed to make sure that the residents are comfortable enough in the harsh lunar conditions.

Material for Settlement structures

The foremost aim of Project Novus is to ensure the safety and comfort of the occupants. This does not mean that the economics of the project has been neglected. One of the most important factors that will decide the success of our proposal is the type of material used for the structures. There are various suitable materials, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

We at Vyom Corporation have considered various possible materials, and have looked into the pros and cons of each of them. We have evaluated the materials based on certain set factors, namely:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Structural suitability (Strength, Load carrying capacity) Impact Resistance (Against micro-meteoroids etc) Environmental efficiency (Pressurization, Temperature, Radiation) Economic feasibility (Cost, weight) Technological feasibility Suitability to settlement structure

After looking into these various factors, we have chosen Kevlar as the main structural material for the settlement modules. As shown above, Kevlar has many advantages that make it a very suitable material for construction.

The advantages of using Kevlar as the main structural material are:

1. High Strength-to-weight ratio

Kevlar has high tensile strength (3620 Mpa) along with a relatively low density (1.44 gm/cm3), which makes it ideal for reducing payload costs. Its strength-to-weight ratio is almost 5 times that of steel.

2. Suitability for wide range of temperatures:

Although the project site is expected to have a constant temperature of -50 degrees Celsius, Kevlar can actually function without appreciable loss in strength or usability in temperature ranges of -196 degrees Celsius and +150 degrees Celsius. This provides an added layer of protection, and also guarantees against material degradation by heat/extreme cold.

Kevlar is proven to actually gain strength at temperatures close to -50 degrees Celsius, which is approximately close to the temperatures at the project site.

3. Effective at stopping impact:

Kevlar is a proven ballistic material, and is used to prepare bullet-proof body armour. Therefore, it will give extra protection against micro-meteoroid impact, if they manage to breach the regolith shielding.

4. Economic Feasibility:
One issue has to be clear, Kevlar is not cheap. It is significantly costlier than steel, glass or aluminium. It is comparable in cost to the other expensive high-grade composites available in the market. But the main goal of Project Novus is ensuring the safety of the residents, and Kevlar offers the best protection against impact, radiation and temperature fluctuations. Therefore, we have chosen it even after considering the economic implications. But the cost can be compensated in the below ways: Kevlar has an extremely good strength-to-weight ratio, and will contribute lesser to payload than steel, aluminium or any other material with the same strength. Lesser payload= lesser cost of transportation

The cost estimates that we possess date to the year 2009. Cost of composites like Kevlar is expected to reduce
drastically in the next few decades. Therefore, the cost in 2050 will be significantly lesser.

ISRO can establish a composites R&D program to develop indigenous alternatives to Kevlar, with comparable
properties. The developed material will have all the advantages of Kevlar, without the patent-related costs of it.

Types of buildings
Project Novus will utilize a mix of pre-fabricated erectable structures (temporary crew modules) and inflatables (actual settlement quarters). As explained in Stages of construction, temporary modules will be erected by the initial construction crew immediately after they land, and the permanent modules will be installed later. The characteristics of the temporary modules are given below:

Temporary modules (TMs):

The TMs will enable the construction crew to function independently with minimal need for external agencies. They will be strong enough to withstand impact by micro-meteoroids, and effects of radiation. We advise modifying the fuel tanks of the lunar lander to provide temporary living space. As the emphasis of our paper is on the permanent modules, further discussion on this topic will be avoided. It is assumed that sufficient research has been done in the area of lunar landers.

Novus Residential Modules (NRMs)

The Novus Residential Quarters (NSMs) will be the mainstay of Project Novus, and will comprise the living space for the residents on the lunar surface.

The NRM is essentially a hemi-spherical inflatable module, transported from earth in semi pre-fabricated
condition, and easily installable using minimal effort.

Novus functional module (NFM)

Similar in shape and construction to the NRM, it will only differ in size.

The size will be according to the function.

The characteristics of the NFM are described below:

Structural Design
The modules will have a 3-layered structure as described below:

We considered various shapes for the design of the modules, each with its own inherent advantages and disadvantages. The main factor that influenced our decision of choosing a hemispherical shape was the stability of this particular shape. Spheres and Hemispheres are essentially 3-dimensional curves, with the outer exposed area having no sharp edges or corners. This translates into better stability of the structures, as lesser the number of corners or edges, lesser the chance of collapse.

Safety against collapse: The modules will be pressurized from inside to a pressure of about 102 Kilo-Pascals, i.e., atmospheric pressure. This pressure will act outwards, against the regolith loading. Since the regolith layer of 3 metres will not cause a loading greater than the internal pressurization, the structure will not collapse inwards. Outwards collapse (bursting) is a possible danger, but the internal bladder of Neoprene will bear the brunt of pressurization. The Kevlar outer layer will take care of any remaining internal pressures. Nonetheless, extensive structural studies are necessary to validate the above statements, which were outside the scope of this paper.

Arrangement of Modules: The Flake

The arrangement of the NRMs is inspired by snowflakes, which exhibit six-fold "radial" symmetry. The Flake, as we refer to the module sets, will have four NRMs and two NFMs connected to a central community module. Pressurized walkways will be provided for the movement of residents within the Flake, without the use of space-suits.

A snow flake

The Novus Flake

Community Module

The community module will be the heart of each Flake. Basically similar in shape and construction to the NRMs, it will have certain minor differences. For one, it will be marginally larger in order to fulfil its basic purposes, which are:

1. To act as an entrance to the entire Flake:

Although each of the NRMs will have an emergency exit mechanism, the community module will normally act as the means of entry to the Flake. It will have an air-lock to enable occupants to enter and exit the flake. An airlock is necessary because humans require the use of pressurized air-suits to function on the lunar surface. Suitable mechanisms like air-locks are required to put-on or remove the air-suit.

2. To produce a sense of community in the occupants of the flake

There is no doubt that the moon is an extremely hostile work environment, where even the smallest mistake can mean injury and death. Also, the prospect of living in confined spaces would naturally take its toll. It is possible that humans functioning in such a hostile scenario will be prone to loneliness, claustrophobia, anxiety and subsequent depression. Therefore, creating a sense of community in the occupants is necessary. The community module will play a large role in making the occupants feel comfortable. It will be a meeting place for the occupants of the Flake, or a Courtyard of sorts.

The community module will therefore have: 1. A sick bay/first-aid centre 2. Paintings/Statues related to earth 3. Facilities for entertainment like a television, indoor games, library etc 4. Aeroponic garden (explained in later section) 5. A conference room for discussions

3. To function as a junction
The community module will be connected to the NRMs by pressurized walkways, which will enable the occupants to move freely between the modules in a flake without the use of spacesuits. Although each of the flakes will be separate, movement within a particular flake will be easier. Each flake will have, apart from the Community Module, four Novus Residential Modules (NRMs), each capable of accommodating 5 inhabitants. Also, it will have two Novus Functional Modules (NFMs), which are capable of acting as fuel cell plant, waste treatment plant, Agro-sphere (food-production plant) or Illeminite processing plant. Therefore, a typical flake will be as shown in the below diagram:

Space calculations (Number of flakes required)

Space required for one occupant (estimate) = 5 m2 (Only for sleeping and storage; approximately a 2x2 square) Each NRM (Novus Residential Module) will have 5 occupants Therefore, space required in one NRM = 5x5 = 25 m2 Add another 5m2 for construction of toilet/bath, Total floor space required=30m2 Since the NRM is hemi-spherical, floor will be circular ( x Diameter2)/4 = 30 m2 Diameter = 6.18 m ~ 7m approx

Every flake will have 4 NRMs (Residential modules), 4 NRMs 5 occupants in each NRM 20 residents in each flake Therefore, for a settlement population of 100, we require 5 flakes

Surface area calculations

Radius of NRM = 3.5 m Surface area of NRM (hemi-sphere) = (2 x x R2) + ( xR2) = 3 x x R2 = 120 m2 (approx) Consider 10% extra material to account for losses, Surface area= 135 m2 per module Earlier, we calculated that 5 flakes ---> 20 NRMs will be required Therefore, Surface area of 20 NRMs = 20 x 135 = 2700 m2 Again, considering 10% extra to account for losses and discrepancies Surface area of 20 NRMs = 3000m2

Cost calculations
There are various forms of Kevlar and Neoprene available in the market today. Kevlar-49 and Kevlar-129 are two commonly used variants of Kevlar. Unfortunately we were unable to find out the current market rates of Kevlar and Neoprene, due to time and resource constraints. Attempts were made to contact major polymer manufacturers like DuPont, but time was insufficient to arrive at a reasonable cost estimate. Therefore, we can only mention the methods by which cost calculations can be arrived at, as below.

The cost of the Kevlar outer layer and Polyester inner layer required for modules can be calculated by
multiplying the cost per m2 of material by combined surface areas of the modules.

The cost of transportation of material from Earth to Moon can be calculated by considering the cost of
transporting a kilogram of material, and multiplying it with the weight of the material (Kevlar, polyester etc).

Costs for sending material to the moon range between Rs 2.5 lakhs and Rs 15 lakhs per kilogram. A cost/kg can
be assumed, after adjusting for inflation and price reductions by year 2050.

Also, the cost of other equipment required for agriculture, electricity production and transmission, Illeminite
processing, fuel cell, waste treatment etc has to be taken into account. The weight of all these components will also add to payload costs.

Construction equipment like compressors (for inflating modules), rovers, diggers etc will also add to the project
cost, both directly and via payload.

Methods of Construction
The various techniques of construction have been given in this section. Only the important techniques which need explanations have been dealt with. (Note that these methods are not necessarily in order of construction. Refer 'Steps of Construction)

1.

Utilization of Rovers for site preparation:

The project site is a reasonably rugged area, as it is located at the rims of an impact crater. Therefore, we can expect that the ground will not be suitable for construction right away. A preliminary site-preparation, such as digging and levelling will be required. As mentioned in the section Stages of Construction, after the remote sensing and ground survey is done, remote-controlled rovers will land at the project site. These rovers will be controlled from earth, and will be semi-autonomous, i.e., although important commands have to be given by humans, they will be capable of operating on their own.

The rovers will be capable of levelling the ground at the project site, to create a plateau or flat ground for the
project. The rovers will also be capable of removing large rocks and other undesirable materials from the project site. Therefore, the rovers will be of various types like 'Bulldozing' rovers, 'Excavating' rovers, 'Drilling rovers' rovers etc.

2. Site Preparation by Human construction crew

Although we will use rovers for site preparation, it is not probable that the entire site preparation work can be completed using rovers. Therefore, the initial construction crew will have to finish the left-over excavation work. They will use manned bulldozers and excavators to effectively level the project site, and make it suitable for setting up the habitation modules. Such heavy machinery might pose a problem regarding transportation from earth, considering their heavy weight. Therefore, they will be transported in individual sections over a period of time, and assembled on the moon.

Another way in which the weight of the machinery required to be transported can be reduced is by using 'Swappable Attachments'. A common base vehicle will be used, and different attachments like 'bulldozer' or 'excavator' will be attached to the vehicle. That is, if bulldozing work needs to be done, then that particular attachment will be fixed to the vehicle. This technique will reduce repetition of construction vehicles, and will ultimately reduce payload costs.

3. Installation of Inflatable modules

The flowchart shows the various steps involved in the installation of the inflatable modules. But brief descriptions are provided regarding some important concepts involved in the process.

1. Regolith layer on modules

Regolith has been mentioned as an excellent barrier against both radiation and micro-meteoroids (Radiation Shielding for a Lunar Base, NASA 2011). A layer of 2.5 meters has been mentioned as sufficient to withstand such issues. Project Novus will utilize a regolith layer of 3 meters to provide an extra layer of protection on the modules Studies on artificial regolith have shown that the geotechnical characteristics of this material allow it to remain on the module without falling down A base support will be provided around the module to support the regolith load, as shown in the above figure The regolith will be processed to a regular consistency, and then placed over the modules.

Regolith placement on modules

2. Pressurization of modules
Initial pressurization will be achieved using a large compressor. A pressure of 102 Kpa has been mentioned to be suitable for inflatable structures on the moon (A. Cameron et al, 1990, University of Texas). After the Flake is formed, each module will have attached pressurization chambers that will maintain ambient pressure.

Human Factors:
Besides construction and maintenance of the settlement, human factors like provision of oxygen, food, water and electricity are very important to a lunar settlement. Also, proper means for disposal of human wastes like urine, excreta, kitchen and bathroom wastes etc have to be designed. Since carrying even an extra kilogram of material to the moon is extremely costly, ISRU (In-situ utilization of resources) has to be used. ISRU deals with the use of available resources to effectively satisfy requirements. Project Novus will use a Closed System Loop (CEL) to provide the necessary essentials for human survival on the moon. The concept of CEL is explained in the below diagram:

Closed Ecosystem Loop (CEL):

Closed Ecosystem Loop (CEL) concept: An overview

The CEL operates exactly in the same manner as an actual ecosystem, that is, it is completely independent and
self-contained. Although Project Novus will use earth sourced material for construction of the modules, essential human requirements will be sourced on-base. This is in order to reduce the overall cost.

The entire settlement can be considered as an Ecosystem, consisting of various components like humans, plants,
oxygen production equipment, waste treatment equipment etc operating independently, but linked to each other.

Although the above diagram explains how the CEL works, an example can be discussed. Consider the case of
humans, with basic requirements for survival being electricity, water, food and oxygen. Also, a proper waste disposal method is necessary. Therefore:

Electricity is provided by solar panels, placed strategically at the Peaks of eternal light on the rims of Peary
crater, and connected to a power supply grid. Also, the fuel cell plants surplus electricity can be utilised.

Water is obtained as a by-product of the fuel cell reaction of Hydrogen and Oxygen produced from Illeminite. Oxygen is obtained from the processing of Illeminite. Food is produced aeroponically in the Agro-spheres (explained later), utilising wastes produced by humans. This
takes care of wastes too.

The individual components of the CEL are explained briefly in the below sections.

Food Supply Methods

In the initial stages of the settlement, food will be provided utilizing stores brought from earth. Lunar food-production facilities will be installed after the first set of settlement quarters is established. Each group of construction crew/settlers that arrives on the moon will bring food and water to last till these facilities are constructed and begin operations. The moon poses some unique challenges when it comes to growing crops. Photosynthesis is essential for the survival of plants, and it has certain basic requirements: sunlight, carbon dioxide, nutrients and water. Also, plants need oxygen for respiration. The only component that is directly available on the lunar surface by default out of the above is sunlight. But even sunlight is not constantly available, considering the long lunar nights (about 354 hours). The direct availability of CO2 is out of question, as the moon has an almost vacuum-like atmosphere. And, the lunar soil is almost completely devoid of nutrients essential to plant growth, especially nitrogen. The only traces of water on the moon might be located in the interior regions of impact craters, where both the temperature and accessibility act are not suitable for agricultural activities. Even if suitable solutions are found for the above problems, there is always a question of whether the agricultural facility will be able to produce yields sufficient for the settlement population.

Any agricultural concept should be capable of:

1. Operating in the peculiar lunar cycle of 354-hour days and 354-hour nights (Provision of sunlight) 2. Providing water, CO2, oxygen and nutrients 3. Functioning without the need for earth-like soil 4. Operating with minimal human intervention 5. Growing suitable crops that will take care of the nutritional needs of the settlers 6. Providing sufficient yields to reduce dependence on earth-sourced food
We have considered various methods of growing crops, mainly conventional soil-based (geoponics), water-based (hydroponics) and air-based (aeroponics) methods.

We have finally decided that an Aeroponic agricultural method would be best suited to the lunar conditions.

Aeroponics
The basic principle of aeroponics is to grow plants suspended in a closed or semi-closed environment by
spraying the plant's dangling roots and lower stem with an atomized, nutrient-rich water solution.

Therefore, there is no need of soil to grow the plants. So, this method is extremely suitable to our project, as soil
doesnt exist on the moon. Agriculture can be carried out with the use of just the nutrient rich solution.

Advantages of Aeroponics as compared to other methods:

1. Low water and power inputs required 2. High volume of food output per unit area 3. More control of plant environment 4. Cost effective 5. Disease-free cultivation

Agro-Spheres: Lunar Aeroponics concept

Agro-spheres will be hemi-spherical structures similar in construction to the residential modules, and will be
attached to every Flake. That is, each Flake will have one Agro-Sphere.

The function of the Agro-Sphere is to provide in-house production of food to the occupants of the Flake.

The Agro-Sphere will contain:

1. Waste treatment Equipment:

As every flake will have 20 residents, it is obvious that a lot of waste will be produced, mainly urine, bathwater
and human excreta. Waste from each of the modules will proceed to a Bioreactor (Biological Wastewater Processor, David Waller, 1999) located in the Agro-Sphere. The Bioreactor will basically process the wastes in various stages, converting them into water and manure. This technology has already been demonstrated by NASA, and further developments are possible by 2050.

The Bioreactor also produced Oxygen and Electricity, which can supplement the available stocks. Since the water produced will only be used for agriculture, it need not be extremely pure. The manure produced will be rich in nutrients, and therefore is ideal for preparation of the Mist Solution to be
used for Aeroponic agriculture.

This waste treatment procedure will take care of the solid and liquid wastes of each flake. Therefore.

2. Aeroponic agriculture equipment

An Aeroponic system on Earth: The lunar system will look very similar

The main ideal of the Agro-Sphere is to provide food to the occupants of the Flake. Aeroponically grown plants need a mist solution infused with nutrients to be sprayed on the roots of the plants at regular intervals. The mist preparation and spraying will be completely automated, and will be scheduled by the use of computers. This will enable human occupants to concentrate on lunar exploration, without worrying about agriculture. The light necessary for photosynthesis will be provided by the use of optical fibres, whose light-collecting ends will be placed at the top of the Agro-Sphere. The fibres will transmit sunlight to the inside of the Agro-Sphere. High-yielding varieties of plants will be grown to provide maximum output, and different plants can be grown in the same Agro-Sphere. The only components to be transported from earth are the mist-sprayer, mist-producer and initial seeds/saplings. Once production begins, the Agro-Sphere will be self contained, and will make the Flake self-sufficient.

Heating Systems

As mentioned earlier, temperatures at the project site will be around -50 degrees Celsius. This temperature is comparable to that experienced at Arctic research stations during winter. Therefore, terrestrial air-conditioning systems with modifications for lunar conditions will be sufficient for the settlement. The various techniques for heating the settlement are given below:

The Regolith layer is expected to provide a certain amount of insulation against the outside cold. The Kevlar (outer) and Neoprene (inner) layers are also expected to insulate the structures. The combined insulation of Kevlar, Neoprene and Regolith is expected to maintain the temperature inside the
modules at around -25 degrees Celsius (a rough estimate; detailed studies are necessary).

Therefore, any heating system would have to raise the temperature from the assumed -25 degrees Celsius to
around 20 degrees Celsius (sufficiently comfortable).

A central electricity powered heater will be situated in the Illeminite Processing module in each Flake. After
oxygen has been processed, it will pass through the heater, which will then heat the air to an ambient temperature (maybe 20 degrees Celsius).

As the heated air is pumped into each of the modules, a comfortable temperature will be maintained. For further heating, portable heaters powered by electricity will provided in each of the modules. These will be
similar in design to heaters used on earth, and therefore further discussion is redundant.

Illeminite processing and Fuel Cell Plant (Oxygen and Water Extraction)
Each Flake will have a module exclusively for Illeminite processing, and use of the produced elements in an integrated fuel cell. The Novus Functional Module (NFM) can be used for this purpose, considering its flexibility. Oxygen and water production is based on the extraction of sufficient amounts of lunar Regolith, and processing the Illeminite present in it. Illeminite is mixture of iron, titanium, and oxygen. The most prominent compound in Illeminite is FeTiO3, and we need to chemically reduce it. Therefore, H2 or hydrogen will be added to FeTiO3 and the mixture will be heated. The resultant reaction is:

FeTiO3 + H2 ---> Fe + TiO2 + H2O ---> H2 + O2

Therefore, the final resultant substances are hydrogen and oxygen in their purest forms. Since Illeminite is available in plenty, large amounts of oxygen and hydrogen can be produced. They will be used for two purposes.

1. Provision of oxygen to occupants:

The oxygen produced will be pumped to the individual modules using pipes, and will be supplied via vents in the residential modules. Maintenance of ambient oxygen levels will be computerised to ensure safety.

2. Fuel Cell plant

The Oxygen and Hydrogen will be combined in a fuel cell to yield electricity, which will supplement solar power. [This is explained in the next section]

Electricity Production Techniques

Providing uninterrupted power supply to the settlement is important for many reasons. Electricity will be required to run the many vital life-support systems, mainly the equipment required for pressurization of modules, communication etc, and also the computerized systems running the Agro-Spheres. Also, we will be using the electricity to heat thermal masses in the modules, to maintain ambient temperatures. One of the main reasons for choosing the rims Peary Crater as the project site was the availability of continuous solar radiation. Some elevated regions near this region have ample sunlight for durations of more than 95% of the year, i.e., the so called 'Peaks of Eternal Light'. Also, the fuel cell process used for producing water (explained in 'Human Factors') supplies electricity as a by-product. The amount of electricity that can be produced is uncertain, but considering the large amounts of Illeminite that will be processed, it should be able to at least supplement the power generated by solar radiation.

Now, the main goal is to make sure that power from both the sources (solar and fuel cell) can be collected and transmitted efficiently to the modules.

 Solar Farms will be established at the 'Peaks of Eternal Light' to ensure maximum capture of available solar
radiation. Solar Farms are a collection of a large number of solar panels arranged in a pattern reminiscent of actual 'farms'. All the panels will be connected to a single sub-transmitter, which will relay the power to settlement. There will be at least 5-6 farms at different elevated locations, ensuring constant power output even if one or two farms are non-functional.

Wireless Electricity Transmission will be used to transfer power from the solar farms to the Power Station,
and then to the individual Flakes. As the solar farms may be located at distances up to a few kilometres from the settlement, laying power lines will be both costly and cumbersome. Also, if a power line is damaged, finding the exact location of damage will be difficult. Wireless electricity transmission will eliminate such problems.

Every solar farm will have a transmitter, which will send the collected electricity to the power station. The power
station will then transmit the electricity to each of the Flakes. The entire process of collection and transmission of power will be automated, and computers will automatically calculate the amount of electricity that a particular flake requires. The required power will then be transmitted to that particular Flake.

We advise the use of Microwave method of wireless power transmission. Further discussion about this process
is outside the purview of this paper, and will therefore be avoided.

Each Flake will have a NFM with a fuel cell. The fuel cell will utilize the hydrogen and oxygen produced from Illeminite to prepare water, with electricity as the by-product. The electricity from Fuel Cell will supplement the power generated from solar panels.

Power generated from a fuel cell will be only used in that particular Flake. Therefore, even if solar power does not reach a particular flake for some reason, the fuel cell power can substitute it temporarily. This ensures that every flake will have constant power supply. The power transmission internally in a flake (between modules) will be wired, ideally using fire-proof and insulated wires.

Countering health effects of long-term stay in low-gravity

The moon has 1/6th of the earth's gravity, translating roughly into a g value of 1.63 m2/sec. Although this is technically not weightlessness, studies have shown that long-term stays in low gravity conditions can be detrimental to human health. Short term health problems like nausea, vertigo, lethargy etc have been reported in astronauts who worked in the Apollo missions to moon, and also the residents of the International Space Station. But such short-term effects do not usually last more than a few days, and can be managed with a modified diet and medications. Our concern is actually about the long term effects on stay in a low gravity environment. Since the project is supposed to last 10 years, we assume that a considerable number of residents will reside on the moon for long durations running into many months, if not years. Studies have shown that problems like muscle atrophy (decrease in the mass of muscles), reduction in bone density, decreased production of red blood cells and subsequent weakening of the immune system can occur by long term exposure to low-gravity.

There are two ways in which the effects of low-gravity can be countered:

The first way is by providing artificial gravity, and this has been discussed in various research papers. Various methods have been mentioned as possible ways to achieve this, including rotating entire structures to create virtual gravity, or installing an ultra-high density mass which will have its own gravity.

The second way is by ensuring that the residents of the settlement maintain a regular regime of exercise and a balanced diet. It has been proved that the detrimental effects of low gravity can be countered by such means.

We have decided to go with the second method, i.e., maintaining a regime of regular exercise and balanced diet. Provision of artificial gravity would be difficult, at least in the initial stages of the project, because of the high costs associated with it. Therefore, we decided that an 'Exercise Regime' to counter health issues would be the best decision.

Health Centre
As mentioned in 'Types of Buildings', the Community Module will take care of the welfare of residents of an individual flake, making sure that they are comfortable in the harsh lunar conditions. Therefore, it will also be the nucleus of countering low-gravity health problems. Every community module will have a 'Health Centre', which will include a gymnasium and a sick bay. The gymnasium will have various exercise equipment for use by residents. The sick bay will be managed by a doctor trained in dealing with 'low-gravity health issues', and will have beds for use by sick residents. Necessary medicines will be stocked at all times. The doctor will also be responsible for maintaining the diet of the residents of the flake. As mentioned in 'Agro-Spheres: Lunar Aeroponics concept ', the Agro-Spheres will be responsible for food production. Mostly high nutrient-content crops like wheat, maize, peas, potatoes etc will be grown to ensure that the residents are given a balanced diet.

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