Moon village: Aluminium colony with wine, Wi-Fi, vehicles, hospitals for 75 residents

The last time a man set foot on the Moon was over 50 years ago. Well after the last Apollo mission in 1972, a new race for manned missions to the Moon began.

Not only NASA and ESA but also space agencies from Russia, China, and India, as well as private companies, want access to the Moon. There are already plans to colonize the Moon.

With NASA’s Artemis program setting its sights on the Moon, national and international spaceflight focus shifts from low Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond.

The intense needs of these future missions have sparked a new era of research on keeping humans safe and healthy while in space for long periods.

Village on Moon

But how do you survive at temperatures between plus 120 and minus 230 degrees Celsius? Where do the vital air and drinking water come from? What happens to human waste, and is it possible to stream videos on the Moon?

The space researchers are addressing these and many other questions and challenges.

They have developed a comprehensive infrastructure network for the exploitation of the Moon by 2050, which is expected to be fully operational by 2070.

The small village on the Moon is supposed to have everything you need to survive. In addition, the settlement should be economically viable in the long term.

The teams worked on radiation protection for the accommodation, considering how many unmanned rovers would be needed for exploration and whether the manned vehicles should be equipped with a pressurized cabin or whether the astronauts would rather travel in a bulky spacesuit.

Wi-Fi, vehicles, hospitals

During the preliminary presentations recently held at the Technical University of Munich, the consulting experts questioned whether the necessary communication via Wi-Fi would still work in the aluminum-made accommodations and whether two medical facilities would be sufficient for 75 permanently settled astronauts.

Major challenges exist not only in life-sustaining measures, technology, and communication but also in adding value.

After all, the settlement should cost money and generate revenue as a stopover for space expeditions.

The mission statement sets out specific targets: At the start of operations in 2050, 10 tons of fuel will be produced every month, and ultimately, 100 tons by 2070.

The participants work on a business plan until the very end. How expensive is fuel production? How much is needed for the onward flight? What prices can be charged for the refueling stop?

All of this has to be taken into account. The teams are very creative in their search for additional revenue sources. One team even plans to produce lunar wine as an exclusive export product.

Colonizing the Moon requires not only space expertise but also in-depth knowledge in fields such as architecture, biology, medicine, law, and business administration. The teams benefit from each other’s interdisciplinary backgrounds.

At the same time, they receive intensive support from 24 experts from science and industry.

Numerous lectures on topics such as project management, space law, communication, robotics, and radiation provide further basic knowledge.