The authors of the project believe that the best place to build a village is the South Pole of the Moon. There is enough sunshine throughout the entire lunar year. In addition, there are many resources and materials to research.
The Moon Village concept was proposed by the European Space Agency (ESA), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the architecture agency SOM. The project was first presented at the 17th International Architectural Exhibition of the Venice Biennale.
The authors of the project propose to build a village on the edge of Shackleton Crater at the South Pole of the Moon. There is a lot of sunlight that can be used as a source of energy. In addition, the area has enough resources to support the lives of the settlers, as well as materials that can provide insight into the early history of the solar system.
The buildings in the village will consist of residential modules, which will integrate life support systems and medical equipment. Ancillary infrastructure made of titanium alloy will be built into the perimeter of each building. Each "house" will have 390 cubic meters of living space and 104 cubic meters of space suitable for technical use.
The design of the modules is a hybrid system consisting of two key elements: a rigid composite frame around the perimeter and an inflatable shell that integrates the building with the environmental management system. This allows for more flexible organization of the interior, better distribution and processing of air, as well as more convenient construction of workstations. In addition, it is more convenient to transport building materials to such structures.
All buildings will be divided into several levels and interconnected to ensure the mobility of settlers.
Lunar Village should become a research center and showcase the possibilities of lunar tourism. As planned, they want to study new technologies of extraterrestrial architecture in extreme environmental conditions.