STRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHELTERS ON PLANETARY SURFACES

摘要

The construction of permanent planetary outposts imposes the necessity of shelters from the very early stages of development. Due to high transportation costs, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) is mandatory; however, it is clear that the first shelters for personnel and machinery should be the landing modules. ISRU, as well as environmental conditions, heavily constrain site selection. It is commonly accepted that the most straightforward way to achieve radiation and thermal protection is with a layer of regolith covering the structure. In this work, it is considered that shell structures are the most suitable type of construction because their geometry and boundary conditions optimize the distribution of active stresses on the material. Requirements for such structures include adequate dimensions, compressive strength and sealing properties. Dimensional requirements depend on the main use given to the structure, either for habitats (pressurized) or equipment (non-pressurized). We model the needs on the Moon of a permanent habitat for a crew of six. Mechanical strength requirements of the structure have been calculated for cast basalt, in order to support an equivalent load of regolith to provide protection against highly energetic solar flares.