Project Objectives
General Objectives
Architecture and exploration are likely to co-exist in any place or physical space explored and inhabited by human beings. With the ESA Argonaut and NASA Artemis program underway, the future of humanity in space is no longer speculation but a tangible possibility within reach for astronauts. Establishing human presence on the Moon and Mars is set as short and long-term objectives by international space agencies and private companies. To better explore the outer space the presence of outposts is crucial, the astronauts need bases for future missions, and this requires a quantum leap in our interplanetary endeavors. As we edge closer to becoming a spacefaring species through ESA Argonaut and NASA Artemis program, new design proposals and research are emerging to redefine traditional notions of space habitats. Space settlement is of paramount central importance for Moon and Mars Human Exploration and science including ESA plans1.
So far architecture effort has been based on detailed design but not set and defined in the context of the planetary environment. This project will help connect the best European research centers and SMEs in Planetary Sciences and Space Architecture, together with a Moroccan one, which have been and are involved in space exploration and/or space design projects. This project will try to design, test, and build sub-systems prototype (e.g., settlement or part of it such as for example walls, roof, living spaces, etc.) in planetary analogue environments. This project represents the first effort where we use environmental and geological setting analogue as a base to define architectural constraints, sketch design and the overall project. Clearly the effort in constructing human infrastructure on planetary surfaces will involve low impact, low-cost and light operations and ISRU materials. This planetary “green” approach can also be applied on Earth especially for developing countries, but it can also be used in more developed areas. The “infrastructure” (the settlement) and the “surface/subsurface” are interconnected and interdependent. Particularly, in extraterrestrial environments this synergy is crucial. Infrastructures must be carefully located and constructed minimizing environmental impacts, using local resources and being low-energy consumer.
Both the geological sites and the infrastructures must minimize any type of risk for astronauts, and all the resources to build the habitat must be easily available. The trafficability of the sites is also essential to minimize risks and save most of the resources. It’s fundamental, both for body and mental health of the astronauts, that the space habitat is “human-focused”. In the construction of ‘human-focused’ terrestrial and space habitats and infrastructures, the synergy between geologists and architects is crucial. Geology is crucial because the subsurface plays a fundamental role in the selection of the landing sites and the location of ‘human-focused’ habitats. The subsurface provides essential resource, protection, ground heat and aggregates for construction (e.g., ISRU for planetary sites). Geological surveys play a significant role both in terrestrial and planetary habitats development by providing large data archives and cutting-edge expertise necessary for a safe and sustainable development. Geology has a key role in future space and urban planning to reduce risks and lower the costs of subsurface challenges. Architecture has a key role in designing comfortable, safe, and functional habitats. By managing the terrestrial and planetary subsurface based on geological knowledge and data as well as infrastructural constraints, ‘human-focused’ habitats may also tackle challenges for a climate-neutral future and become resilient.
In this context, the ArchiSpace project aim is to conceive, investigate, and produce innovative and comfortable subsystems for ‘human-focused’ habitats to live and thrive in Space, with low environmental impact. To achieve these objectives, the ArchisSpace consortium has brought together the best European teams that have been involved in space exploration and architecture in the last decades with excellent performance, and the project aims is: (1) to plan the executable project of the subsystem prototype (e.g., living space, rooms, roof, walls), integrating cross-disciplinary know-how during the first two years and then (2) to build and validate subsystems prototype and a 3D virtual ‘human-focused’ habitat. To maximize and validate the outputs of the project for space environments, the consortium will project and test the ‘human-focused’ subsystems prototype in desert and volcanic environments especially during the three joint “Collocations”, explained below in the proposal.
We will select three analogue locations, provide a 3D model and geotechnical information of the area and project subsystems prototype (settlement or part of it) for a human base and related adjoining infrastructures. This will be the first attempt to program a construction of subsystems prototype for human habitats and logistic structures in a reliable planetary environment through the shared and coordinated contribution of all the actors (mainly geologist architects but also engineering, astronomers and chemists) who will one day have to interact in the design and construction of an extraterrestrial base.
The project will consist in several sub-systems and components that will be designed and tested, based on partners’ experience. ArchiSpace will coordinate the existing expertise and research efforts of eight beneficiaries and an AC associated partner into a synergic plan of collaborations and staff exchanges that will offer comprehensive transfer of knowledge (ToK), teaching and training for several researchers and professionals, including competitively selected undergraduate and graduate students. The multi-scale approach to ToK, teaching, research and skill development will allow secondees to acquire the full range of methodological advancements that are otherwise only available separately at high-class individual research centers in Europe. Joint work between architects, planetary scientists and field work specialists is hardly achieved in the EU and elsewhere.
Hence, the ArchiSpace initiative is pioneering new fields of shared intersectoral research in Europe. A low impact and efficient subsystems for Space settlement can be proficiently adopted to future manned missions to the Moon and Mars. Finally, the development of these subsystems for human’s permanence in space can have important impact on Earth as, with more than half of the world’s population living in urban areas and an increased drive for more sustainable and resilient approaches to urban living, new technologies for the creation of sustainable and economically accessible infrastructures can contribute to improving the quality of life and security of developing countries (like Morocco for example). The terrestrial implications of this project also respond to the invitation of the United Nations and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030, with sustainable development, responsible urban planning, protection of natural heritage and resilience towards geohazards stated as key objectives for the next decade.
The ArchiSpace consortium made, for the most part, of geologist and architects play a key role in achieving those targets, providing the necessary expertise to all stakeholders involved.
Specific Objectives
Scientific, Technical and business oriented aspects (Obj) plus Training and Mobility objectives (T&M):
Scientific, technical and business oriented objectives:
Obj-1: The main objective is to unite and create common standards among the main players (e.g., geolo gists, architects, astronomers, engineers, chemists) who will contribute to building a space base on the Moon and Mars. The organization of three joint (all partners) field activities (Collocations) during the first three years in three different Martian and lunar analogue sites to produce concept, preliminary design, project sketches, will contribute paving the way to the accomplishment of this goal. This activity will be based on a detailed geological survey, nature of the surface, geomorphological features collected in advanced. All the members of the project will participate to field work that will last for an entire month. After the first year field activity the partners will start to build sub-systems (part of the settlement) prototype for human settlement in “real” and “analog” planetary environmental conditions. The ArchiSpace project wants to fuse and jointly ap ply the comparative knowledge of the participants on Space architecture and landing site analysis and condi tions on Moon, Mars, and analogues at Earth: technological requirements (regolith properties, mass and access of raw materials), and application in low income/extreme environments (simple + robust processing methods). The existing and available State-Of-Art in Space architecture, planetary exploration and technological require ments will be harmonized to support the design of subsystems prototypes at analogue sites. Physical characteris tics of the surface of Moon and Mars will be surveyed (regolith grain size, thickness, mineral composition) to understand the similarities with analogue sites. In addition, the critical technologies required to build the proto types using local sources with few energy consumptions and fitting with expected payload criteria will be de fined. The related findings will be distilled to provide inputs for the WPs and other objectives. Verification: datasets of local field (plus Moon and Mars) numerical geotechnical parameters, documentation of discussion how building related needs relate to field site conditions (requirements, meeting safety limits etc), ease of use of geological data by architects and vice versa. KPIs: 1) Number of joint field activities (collocations) organized; 2) Quality and comprehensiveness of geological surveys and data collected; 3) Extent of harmonization of com parative knowledge on space architecture and landing site analysis; 4) Quality and practicality of technological requirements identified for construction.
Obj- 2: Cross-sector collaboration to achieve innovative ideal application of the Space settlement harmonizing the technical language used by geologists and architects to facilitate interaction between the various teams that must operate in the construction of a lunar or martian base. Understand by 3D simulations how to plan and opti mize sub-systems prototype settlements suitable for planetary exploration. Adaptation of existing technologies to extreme conditions including developments by partners of the already existing methods (especially by TUD (see section 1.1.4) solving all issues, evaluating scientific and operational aspects, and field testing. Verifica tion: detailed discussion why and how specific processes should be adapted to local needs, what to be tested and developed for OBJ3 and 4. KPIs: 1) Number of 3D simulations conducted to plan and optimize prototype settlements; 2) Quality of cross-sector collaboration between geologists and architects; 3) Success rate of adapt ing existing technologies to extreme conditions; 4) Detailed reports on process adaptations and evaluations; 5) Effectiveness of the technical language harmonization between geologists and architects; 6) Number of field tests conducted for adapted technologies; 7) Documentation quality of technical processes adapted for local needs.
Obj-3: Validate and adapt first virtual, then 3D printed small scale, finally evaluation of the feasibility of sub systems prototype realization at terrestrial analogues in relevant environments. The focus is on the implementa tion of building process, applied methodology, according to test scenarios, with relevance of terrestrial ana logues of Moon and Mars. Validation will be carried out using both theoretical modelling and simulation. The prototype will be validated according to the Validation Plan with respect to System Requirements as well as User Requirements. Verification: we will test the subsystems prototype (settlement or part of it) while we ana lyze, through virtual simulation, systems (the whole base) pros and cons by doing benchmarks. KPIs: 1) Success rate of 3D printed prototypes in relevant environments; 2) Number and quality of implemented building pro cesses and methodologies; 3) Extent and quality of validation plans executed; 4) Number of virtual and 3D printed small-scale prototypes created; 5) Validation success rate of prototypes against System and User Re quirements; 6) Number and quality of benchmark analyses conducted.
Obj -4: Transfer of knowledge from planetary science to terrestrial science to increase the know-how for “greener constructions”. For example, the Mc Murdo’s base in Antarctica was born through experience in the same place starting from Scott Hutt base. Planetary exploration does not allow the development of technologies for the construction of permanent bases with the same times and ways with which for example we could build the permanent bases in Antarctica, for Space Exploration everything must be programmed requiring planning and transfer of knowledge between, in this case, geologists and architects who are involved in the project. We pointed out in TM1 that we want to set up a close collaboration between these two macro-areas, which are cru cial for building a space base. Verification: evaluation of the interaction capacity between the various players of the project, to harmonize it as much as possible. It will pass through the understanding of the scientific and architectural vocabulary and language. Since the “concept” is a derivative of the “language” this step is crucial for a better understanding and amalgamation of knowledge. KPIs: 1) Quality of ToK from planetary science to terrestrial science; 2) Number of evaluations conducted on interaction capacity between geologists and archi tects; 3) Improvement in harmonization of scientific and architectural vocabulary and language.
Obj-5: Sharing knowledge and jointly identify the economic feasibility and impact of the prototype for both Space and non-Space markets from science-technology synergy (publications, conference, and round table dis cussions, involved companies). The development of a technological roadmap to transition from a scaled model to subsystems prototype by increasing its TRL will be done including market study and development plans, IPR issues, and the establishment of new contacts and strategic alliances for the commercialization of these tech nologies both at European and worldwide level. KPIs: 1) Number of market studies and development plans cre ated; 2) Number and quality of IPR issues resolved; 3) Success in commercialization efforts for the technolo gies; 4) Economic feasibility assessments conducted and their outcomes; 4) Number of publications, conference presentations, and round table discussions conducted; 5) Development and completeness of the technological roadmap; 6) Number of new contacts and strategic alliances formed.
Training and mobility objectives (T&M)
T&M-1: Push innovation through the development of an initial research and training network that will focus its activities on the development, effective integration, and increased utilization of innovative Space architecture by joint activities. The specific and target oriented joint activity of planetary scientist, architects and engineers is the business gap that will be exploited here. Develop cross-discipline methods (“language, technology, applica tion of specific measures) to make familiar with each other’s activity between scientists, engineering and archi tects. KPIs: 1) Number of training sessions and joint activities; 2) Level of effective integration and utilization of innovative space architecture; 3) Development of cross-discipline methods and their adoption rate.
T&M-2: Provide researchers and professionals with the opportunity to go beyond the current state- of-the-art in geology and Space architecture, through a multidisciplinary and international approach based on the develop ment of subsystems prototype (settlement or part of it) that can contribute to a more effective planetary explo ration as well as useful for terrestrial low-income and extreme areas. These will be supported by trainings, joint conference sessions, joint works at collocations etc. KPIs: 1) Number of researchers and professionals partici pating in trainings and joint conferences; 2) Success in going beyond the current state-of-the-art in geology and space architecture; 3) Quality of multidisciplinary and international approach in training sessions.
T&M-3: Support early career researchers and, hence, possibly continue and improve their careers at high pro file universities and well-established private enterprises, even after the end of their individual project within ArchiSpace (visits at participating institutes: science student at architectures and vice versa). We will develop activities within our study courses and the Erasmus Mundus of the European Community which involves the universities of Coimbra, Nantes and d’Annunzio. KPIs: 1) Number of early career researchers supported and their career progression; 2) Number of visits to participating institutes and their impact; 3) Integration and suc cess rate within Erasmus Mundus programs.
T&M-4: broadening knowledge within the architectural sector and creating awareness in those who work on Earth about the complexity of settlement infrastructures. KPIs: 1) Number of awareness initiatives within the ar chitectural sector; 2) Level of knowledge broadening and understanding of settlement infrastructure complexi ties. T&M-5: Build up specific complementary and market-oriented skills to allow the European researchers and pro fessionals to face the new challenge in terms of future technology development in a competitive business market environment (publication of methodologies, case study experiences, suggestions for diploma work topics etc.). KPIs: 1) Number of shared publications and case study experiences; 2) Development of market-oriented skills and their adoption rate.The objectives of this project will be achieved through work packages, which collectively create a synergy effect through the combination of multidisciplinary. Among the general objectives listed above, we are focusing on the following specific innovation objectives: improve regolith cementation methodology on selecting the ideal grain size and adaptation to mineralogy; develop scenarios for ideal design aspects for jointly using loose regolith for radiation and heat shielding together; develop methods to make virtual design optimization for working methods on Moon and Mars.