So, you’re on the Moon. Now what?
How do you make 1/6 gravity, high radiation, extreme temperatures, and effectively no atmosphere feel not just survivable, not just habitable, but enjoyable? Introducing the MoonyTube™, your hole away from home!
hole away from home
The Moon's surface is covered in lunar pits, holes in the ground that many scientists speculate lead down to much larger snaking lava tubes.
These lunar pits are completely naturally occurring and great mitigators of radiation and temperature fluctuation.
In other words, they’re prime real estate for long-term, enjoyable Moon life!
Begin by removing the MoonyCan™ from your rocket
The MoonyCan™ is a hard structure in which the MoonyTube is stored until needed.
In addition to acting as storage, the MoonyCan™ comes equipped with a fully-functional environmental control and life support (ECLSS) system, radiation-resistant water-lined walls, and a number of amenities like airlocks, bathrooms, analysis rooms, and flexible spaces.
And on top of all that, the MoonyCan™ is compact enough to fit in the payload fairing of all standard Starship launch vehicles, meaning where you go, it goes.
Next, wheel your MoonyCan™ out over your desired hole and securely clamp down the feet
it’s time to inflate your MoonyTube™
Watch as it emerges from the bottom of the MoonyCan™ before extending into your lunar pit. The Moonytube's™ origami-like structure allows it to unfold into a shape much more spacious than its stored shape.
flexible yet sturdy structure to accommodate lunar pits of many shapes and sizes
the exterior is lined with space-grade vectran, which can withstand bumps and scrapes against the inner walls of your lunar pit.
Your MoonyTube™ orients its rooms along the vertical axis
Thanks to 1/6 gravity, you can easily reach each of the spaces via a single central staircase and firefighter’s pole.
a full set of spaces to thrive on the moon
rooms consist of a kitchen, a media room, and several bedrooms, bathrooms, airlocks, flexible spaces, and comms rooms, allowing for comfortable, spacious living in space.
a plethora of inflatable furniture options
Whether it be a desk or a dining table, a closet or a bed, a chair or a sofa, simply pick what you want to add and pop it into any of the light panels on the walls.
Then, the module will inflate and become functional.
You can always change your mind and rearrange any of the furniture modules as you like, decorating them with whatever reminds you of Earth.
Our team tested MoonyTube's inflation mechanism at a massive scale and received exciting results
this project was a collaboration between MIT's Department of Architecture and Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Team members include (pictured left to right) Tanya Estrina (arch), Alex Stewart (arch), Carissma McGee (aeroastro), Ireland Brown (aeroastro), and Chris Tommila (aeroastro).
