NASA has plans to setup a Lunar base by the year 2020.
This base will initially house astronauts for a period of seven days and after some journeys the period will be increased to 2 weeks, then 2 months and finally a period of six months.
What the space agency is considering is what should be the best alternative for building a Lunar structure.
According to the space agency’s contractor named ILC Dover LP, the best alternative will be a inflation deployed expandable structure that serves as a demonstration air lock.
These inflatable will be used as connectors between crew quarters and can also provide a radiation shelter if it is covered with lunar soil.
ILC Dover also stated that inflatable structures are robust and adaptable. In the next phase of research the company will make a comparison between rigid and inflatable structures.
Via: physorg
Comments
Despite the fact that Bigelow Aerospace is already developing this technology (not to mention finding a way to drill through the lunar soil without the machine breaking) it is good to see NASA follow suit.
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