In preparation for NASA’s return to the moon circa 2020, they are evaluating some proposed structures for crew habitats. One possibilty is the inflatable structure shown. They plan to haul it down to the Antarctic next year to see how it performs.
Advantages of inflatables are low mass, low volume and relative ease of deployment. Radiation and micrometeoroid protection will likely be thx to the usual suspects of Nomex, woven kevlar, polyethylene and Viton wrapped in a multi-layer polyimide thermal control blanket…not quite as good as the International Space Station with it’s 4-inch thick bulletproof vest over an aluminum skin, it’s 3-inch thick windows and the stuffed Whipple shield … but almost.
Of course the new budget cuts, affecting mostly the Orion program, may render all this moot.
Camping on the Moon Will Be One Far Out Experience – NASA, 02.23.07
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