Alec Stabile

Moon Habitat Research

Being on the moon would be like if Earth had a mountain that was tall enough to extend to the

outer atmosphere and you climbed to the top and tried to live there. One way scientists are

planning the take shelter on the moon is by using the moons huge craters. This will be a good

way to explore the environment and even take shelter in. These craters can be from 5 meters to

900 meters across. While in the crater all we would need is an overhang to shield us from

above. Being in this crater would protect us from radiation, micrometeorites, dust, and even

huge temperature swings. Craters could also help us research the layers of the moon and how

they formed billions of years ago.

Getting to these craters would not be an easy task. First we need to send radar based

missions in order to locate and find the specifications of the craters.Then we could send a rover

to various locations to determine which crater would fit us best. We would also need to drill in

the area in order to find out if it is safe to drill there. If we went there and tried to dig and it was

unstable, it could put astronauts in harm's way but also be a waste of lots of money and

resources.

Shelters on the moon could also be made by using resources from the moon. Bricks can

be made by using moon dust and can be used as a reliable source for building. We can practice

with these bricks by making our own on Earth. Volcanic sites contain dust very similar to lunar

dust and we can go to these sites and practice with the material. Volcanic and lunar dust are

both basaltic material made up of silicates and both have a similar geological history. European

space agencies are already coming up with ways to construct these bricks and try to use them

for future missions to the moon.