Ana Emilia Hernandez

The aerospace industry is not only imminently sending people to the Moon and Mars, but also actively pursuing the expansion of human presence throughout the solar system. The goal is not only to visit but also to eventually inhabit these new frontiers. Creating constructed environments in these unexplored lands will bring significant design challenges. Moon regolith is the abundant layer of the fragmental unconsolidated mantle that covers most of the lunar surface. In my project, I examined the feasibility of using compounds found readily on the Moon for a new type of concrete, specifically one employing sodium-based compounds as a binding cement and the raw regolith as the aggregate; furthermore, I investigated integrating paraffin for its waterproofing properties. Taking into consideration the limitations of space travel, I then present the Moon Module, a versatile, in situ–manufactured outcome for this novel type of concrete. The ability to use this building material for radiation shielding, to enhance environmental endurance, for thermal insulation, for it sealability and structural stiffness, etc., would represent a significant step toward extraterrestrial architecture construction and the expansion of human presence in space.