A Lunar Base with Astronomical Observatory

The concept of a Lunar Base for a crew of 10 (LB10), with an astronomical telescope is presented in this paper. The focus is on the architectural solutions for a lunar habitat with an astronomical observatory as well as site selection for the location and deployment of the settlement. LB10 is a base designated for scientific research but also commercial utilization of permanent human presence on the Moon. The architecture of the LB10 is driven by minimum mass of the structure components transported from the Earth and maximum safety during construction and use of the base. A number of robotic and deployable structures are used to achieve this goal. The base architecture is based on utilization of inflatable, rigid and regolith structures for different purposes. The inflatable, fragile, inner part of the base holds the human’s biosphere while the exterior regolith shell provides solid shield against radiation and micrometeoroids. The architecture exterior thus resembles terrestrial fortification design to endure object impact, while the interior provides comfortable and safe living in the sphere. The observatory in the vicinity of the base is also a self-deployable structure which uses liquid mirror technology and is located on the North Pole of the Moon 4 km from the base.