1. GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE OF NYU
Mutopia: The Next Generation of Lunar
Settlement
Katrina Corley
Georgia Institute of Technology
Philip Barr
The Pennsylvania State University
Dennis Liaw
Polytechnic Institute of NYU
Dr. Jeannette Yen
Faculty Advisor - Georgia Institute of Technology
Dr. Jack Matson
Faculty Advisor – The Pennsylvania State University
Dr. Richard Wener
Faculty Advisor – Polytechnic Institute of NYU

2. OUTLINE problems that they face. Designing a settlement
on the moon requires drawing from a very
I. INTRODUCTION diverse skill set, as many problems require
Mutopia complex, multidisciplinary solutions. To that
end, this study of a permanent moon settlement
II. LUNAR SETTLEMENT looks not just at conventional engineering
Gravity solutions, but also at progressive engineering
Moontrifuge Support System design theories. The human-building interface
Sustainable Energy also is a key element in a successful settlement
Acquisition of Materials and Construction and significant attention was spent to engineer
the social environment in a productive,
III. LIFE-FRIENDLY SETTING sustainable manner. Because our goal was to
Location create a perfect settlement, we have given it the
Environmental Systems name: MUTOPIA.
Psychological Considerations
Environmental Stress II. LUNAR SETTLEMENT
Psychological Countermeasures
Biologically Inspired Design Gravity
1. Launch
2. Self-healing Materials The adverse effects of weightlessness on
3. Compound Eye Motion Sensor the human body have proven to be a major
4. Compound Eye Light Guide limiting factor in space exploration. This issue
5. Fire Detection becomes an even more important challenge
when designing a permanent lunar settlement.
IV. COMMUNITY SETTING Though the moon has a gravitational
Social Layout acceleration equal to 17% of Earth’s, this
Privacy microgravity does not provide enough force to
Interior Layout and Fractal Design sustain life forms that have evolved under
Protective Systems Earth’s gravity. As a result, creating artificial
Multiple Moontrifuges gravity is the most significant issue for a
Entrepreneurship on the Moon permanent settlement on the moon.
Feasibility The effects of living under microgravity
Outreach for an extended period of time are not fully
known. Current studies on the effects of
V. SUMMARY weightlessness and microgravity on the human
References body show that bone demineralization, muscle
atrophy, and reduction of heart size and plasma
VI. APPENDIX volume are among the most detrimental effects
Figures of a lack of gravity1. Gravity is also greatly
Acknowledgements beneficial for the growth of plants, common
_____________________________________ human functions, and engineered systems.
Astronauts in weakened physical condition with
I. INTRODUCTION compromised immune systems will not be able
to serve their purpose.
Mutopia Various different countermeasures for
these effects have been explored. These
Living on the Moon presents a variety of countermeasures include exercise,
challenges that will push its inhabitants to pharmaceuticals, and small radius centrifuges13.
create new and innovative solutions to the These different techniques each solve parts of
1

3. the problem effectively, but only a large radius Sustainable Energy
centrifuge can fully solve the problem by
providing inhabitants with the amount of Having a sufficient, reliable supply of
gravity experience on Earth. electricity is essential for the success of
An important consideration when Mutopia. To this end, several energy sources
designing a life-sustaining centrifuge is the have been identified. Solar energy promises to
Coriolis force which results from linear be a reliable technology that will be capable of
movement within a rotating reference frame1. providing a large quantity of energy. One option
The conflicting force is directly proportional to for this will be to place large quantities of solar
the angular velocity of the spinning object and panels or a thin film of photovoltaics on the
can cause motion sickness when too great. surface of the moon. Another option would be
Studies show that a speed of 10 rpm causes to have an orbiting satellite collect solar energy
Coriolis sickness in most humans; while at a and beam it to the moon’s surface using either a
speed of 4 rpm some will have motion sickness microwave or laser transmitter. There are
but will adapt after a few days24. Based on these several other technologies that could be utilized
data the centrifuges will be designed to rotate if the technologies mature to a sufficient level.
continuously at 4 rpm to provide a suitable The first is nuclear fusion. If nuclear fusion is
living environment. successfully developed for energy production, it
The heart of the settlement is found in would be an excellent source. Furthermore,
these centrifuges, called Moontrifuges. These there is a relative abundance of He3 on the
are large (100m diameter) rotating centrifuges, moon, which is projected to be a main fuel
where the majority of activity takes place. They source for fusion technologies. In addition it
combine living, working, and utility spaces into also may be possible to collect energy from the
one structure. This design will provide a solar winds that bombard the moon’s surface.
solution to the most pressing issue of permanent While it is not currently possible to do this the
lunar settlement and allow scientists to more energy density from the solar winds is sufficient
fully grasp what gravity is and how it affects the that it could become a potential source.
human body. Figures 1 and 2 in the appendix
display varying views of this design. Acquisition of Materials and Construction
Moontrifuge Support System One of the central questions that must be
faced when doing any type of construction is
Given the size and importance of each the source of building materials. By studying
Moontrifuge, it is essential that they are allowed the composition of the moon, it is clear that a
to continuously rotate without failure. Several majority of the construction materials can be
concepts were looked at (bearings, rotating acquired locally. Local acquisition of materials
plates like those found in rotating restaurants, is especially advantageous when building a
and magnetic levitation) and magnetic levitation structure in outer space, and significantly
was chosen as the best option. Using the same reduces costs.
technology found in stabilized passive magnetic The regolith on the moon is an abundant
suspension maglev systems, it would be source of metals and oxygen that can be easily
possible to rotate the Moontrifuge around in a strip mined. This regolith consists mostly of the
safe, reliable, and energy efficient manner. This compounds FeTiO3 (Ilmenite), Al2Si2O8
system also would have an added advantage of (Plagioclase) and SiO4 (Olivine). From these
being more resilient in the event of seismic compounds it will be possible to extract the
activity. Due to the need for added redundancy, majority of the elements needed for
the Moontrifuge would have a series of rollers construction of the Moontrifuges that are the
on the bottom of it which would be able to central design feature of Mutopia. Extracting
“land” it if it became necessary to stop. these elements would require transporting and
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4. assembling a blast furnace on the moon, but Environmental Systems
would allow for the creation of an almost
unlimited quantity of high quality steel, Adequate and reliable life support
titanium, and aluminum. These elements will systems will be crucial in sustaining all life
form the primary structural components of the forms on Mutopia including humans, research
Moontrifuges. In addition, research indicates animals, pets, plants and insects, and microbial
that a sufficient quantity of nitrogen and life forms. This discussion will focus on the
phosphorus can be extracted from the regolith four foundation systems: water, wastewater,
to support life in the settlement. Oxygen also atmosphere and food. The overall themes of the
can be recovered from the metal purifying life support systems will be mixing technology
process. Mining, as well as the majority of with biology and a “zero waste” mentality. All
excavating and construction will be done by products and materials used will need to have
robots. Utilizing these robots removes the need sustainable, multiple uses or be constructed of
for a large construction crew and the facilities recyclable or biodegradable materials. Current
that also would be necessary to support them. general practices on the International Space
Station (ISS) and Space Flights is to treat,
III. LIFE-FRIENDLY SETTING recycle, and reuse water products and bring the
solid waste-products back to Earth for ultimate
When designing for environments that processing. This type of practice will not be
are very different from the familiar one of the sustainable in Mutopia. Also, the ISS and other
Earth there are many different factors that must ventures largely use physical/chemical
be taken into consideration. Some of these processes for treatment methods12. While this
factors are location, environmental systems, works for small duration visits, it is not deemed
psychological considerations, environmental sustainable for a permanent settlement. For
stress psychological countermeasures, and these reasons, the life support systems must be
biologically inspired design. looked at as “total” life support systems that
combine technology and biology to treat,
Location recycle, and reuse the life system elements.
The initial water supply and any needed
The settlement site will be situated in the make-up water will be obtained from the
southern polar region of the moon. Choosing planetary ice sources, which contain an
this area offers numerous advantages over other estimated mass of 6.6 billion tons of water21.
sites. The primary advantage of this location is While planetary water appears to be fairly
the craters in the southern region that have been accessible, water conservation will be a
identified as the most likely locations for water requirement due to the anticipated difficulty of
on the moon. Access to local water is a central extracting and transporting the ice water. The
need for life in Mutopia29. A second advantage conceived method for water capture would be to
of this area is that it tends to have a higher melt the ice in place and pump the liquid into
amount of sunlight than other areas of the inflatable membrane tanks aboard a lunar
moon. This is very beneficial when using solar transportation vehicle before transporting the
power generation. While a specific site at the product to Mutopia’s water treatment system.
southern polar region of the moon was not Evolving from the closed water cycle systems
chosen for the settlement, several criteria were currently used in space operations such as the
identified. These criteria include a) a flat ISS11, the lunar water will be an entirely
location for the site with b) a deep subsurface encompassing life system which finds
layer of regolith and situated in c) a seismically inspiration in the Earth’s water cycle. To
stable zone. compensate for the lack of substantial
atmosphere and difficulty in acquiring the
product, a closed loop system (the Water Orbit)
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5. is required to play the role of keeping all three principle gases to be concerned about are
valuable water within the system from being carbon dioxide, oxygen, and nitrogen. Once
lost. On board the ISS, the occupants take again, it is desirable to allow living biology
sponge baths, utilizing only 4 litres (1 gallon) of (plants) to help with atmospheric control by
water2. While this is attractive from a water consuming CO2 and providing oxygen.
quantity standpoint, the Mutopia occupants will Relative to CO2; it is doubtful that the system
be afforded slightly more water for bath/shower will contain enough green plant life to create a
purposes, say 40 litres (10 gallons) as the CO2 balance, but the greenery will contribute.
psychological aspects of showering are critical A large benefit of the plant life will be
for long term occupancy. All water phases, providing color and a sense of health in the
including humidity, within the settlement will environment. Mechanical CO2 scrubber
be captured, taken through the water treatment technology will be employed to handle any
process and reused. To maximize internal living excessive CO2 within the system, which will be
space and minimize infrastructure and system a concern11. The large air handling devices will
components, community water and wash areas be connected to indoor sensor systems that will
will be utilized for each living space. operate automatically based upon need. In
Due to the closed loop system, the water addition, individual people will be outfitted
and wastewater systems will be closely linked, with personal equipment, such as wristband
more so than the natural water system on the watch technology, that will double as a CO2
Earth. Near direct water reuse from wastewater scrubber. Oxygen is plentiful within the
will occur to keep the Water Orbit closed. regolith and can be extracted to supplement the
Current practices on the ISS use all Mutopia air if and when needed. Mutopia’s
physical/chemical means of waste water “oxygen gardens” will provide some natural
treatment, using the reliability and ease of replenishment. The “oxygen gardens” will be
repair of the equipment to their advantage. outfitted with the latest varieties of highly
While this would still properly treat waste efficient oxygen producing plant species.
water, it doesn’t incorporate the thought of Nitrogen, which comprises approximately 80%
microbial and plant life forms contributing to of the Earth’s atmosphere, will be more difficult
the treatment. This system will take advantage to create initially. Once created within the
of these as one of the primary means of interior atmosphere however, nitrogen
treatment regenerators will be employed to renew and
The biological steps will occur in the monitor the nitrogen levels. Nitrogen is found
early stages of treatment to allow the nutrients within the lunar regolith that has been deposited
(primarily nitrogen and phosphorus) available by the solar winds.
in the waste streams to be taken up by the plant
and life forms. Solid wastes, such as fecal Psychological Considerations
matter, food and organic wastes, and
biodegradable matter also will be processed Although the ability of humans to
within the wastewater system on Mutopia. Just survive in the extreme environment of space has
as the treated water will be reused within the been repeatedly demonstrated by numerous
system, the solid organic wastes will be reused space station programs, the living conditions are
as a planting medium. Note that the latest a far cry from life on Earth. These conditions
developments in technology such as reverse carry many psychological implications,
osmosis membranes2 coupled with biological especially when proposing permanent
features such as anaerobic digestion and habitation. During long term isolation, it is
phytoremediation water gardens26 also will be difficult to walk away from interpersonal
used. conflicts, making them more consequential, and
The settlements’ atmospheric conditions the blurring line between work and leisure
are crucial to sustaining all life forms. The spaces causes the value of personal privacy to
4

6. skyrocket. In a confined environment, the Psychological Countermeasures
conventional circadian rhythm of day and night
that humans are used to on Earth are replaced While most psychopathologies are
by constant artificial lighting, which not only selected out when astronauts are being chosen
disrupts sleep cycles, but diminishes overall for their missions, this technique may not hold
sense of time. Some effects of these conditions on the Mutopia. While the first generation may
observed by research were increases in not have a record of psychiatric disease the
insomnia, depression, and hostility17. In order to speculation that nothing will develop in later
promote a sustainable community in space, generations cannot be made. Psychological
salutogenic measures must be taken to mitigate countermeasures are therefore essential for
these negative effects. maintaining the Mutopia’s sustainability. This
can be implemented by using biometric sensors
Environmental Stress to transmit physiological data either to on
colony psychologists, or Earth based advisors.
Space habitats are not just secluded in The methods however present certain issues of
the sense that the inhabitants are locked inside. practicality. For example, circadian rhythm is
This isolation is due to the intense external monitored my temperature readings from rectal
conditions that are completely unsupportive to thermostors17. At the minimum, on colony
human life. Should something go wrong, rescue psychiatric advisement is something that should
operations are near impossible, and on an be implemented.
autonomous facility like the Mutopia this means
that safety is paramount. In isolation, people Biologically Inspired Design
can adapt to predictable stressors over time, but
they are unable to adapt to unpredictable Biologically-inspired design (BID) is an
stressors. Any responses to these unpredictable evolving field that brings designers from
stressors are not cumulative, and are dependent numerous fields together to create innovative
on the levels of the stressor at that particular solutions to problems in human design and
time7. On the ISS and submarines it has been engineering14,15. The natural world provides an
noted that the continuous noise of on board excellent example of adaptations that have
systems can become irritating over time, occurred due to specific problems or challenges.
however should those noises stop, it would These adaptations tend to approach solutions to
cause immediate stress because a crucial life problems from a different viewpoint than those
support system has failed. These stressors can humans tend to favor, thus expanding the design
be mitigated by enforcing policies of part space. Because of these differing approaches
redundancy for ease of maintenance, consistent BID provides the opportunity to form more
part logging during that maintenance, and innovative designs. Here are several examples
conducting emergency drills for the various of how BID can be utilized in the Moontrifuge.
types of system failures that could occur6.
Though it is stressful in itself being aware of 1. Launch
every possible failure mode of one’s habitat,
being prepared for all of these possibilities Nature designs its folding mechanisms
makes these stressors less persistent and so that they can be easily deployed, but also
promotes the self sufficiency and emergency easily retracted10. Some examples of this are a
awareness required to operate a permanent and beetle’s wings or leaves packed into buds. The
sustainable colony. hornbeam leaf is on example of an excellent
folding mechanism. The leaf folds tightly into
the bud and then is able to expand both its
length and width when unfolding like many of
our engineered folding designs (umbrellas,
5

7. etc.). This feature is very useful for designing needing a detection system to indicate that they
folding mechanisms for solar cells. By creating are damaged.
an ordered pattern of folds it is possible to Maintaining structural integrity on the
create a structure that can be both opened and moon is also important. Moonquakes and
closed with a single pull. This folding pattern, meteorites present a threat of damage to
Miura-ori, can be applied not only to solar structures and could be difficult to repair if
arrays, but to other folded items such as maps. normal materials such as solid sheeting are
Folding and deployment mechanisms for used. Polymer composites inspired by platelet
solar arrays and other equipment in space are aggregation also have been developed. These
very important. For solar arrays it is important polymers are able to autonomously heal
to maximize surface area in order to capture the themselves when damaged28. Figure 3 in the
optimal amount of energy from the sun. appendix shows how these polymer composites
However, since these arrays must be launched it work. The polymer consists of
is also very important for them to pack down as microencapsulated healing agents and a
tightly as possible into their launch module catalytic chemical triggers that are embedded
similarly to leaves. Miura-ori was applied to within an epoxy matrix. A crack ruptures the
solar arrays on the Japanese Space Flyer Unit microcapsules releasing the healing agent which
that was launched in 1995. The arrays are polymerizes when it comes into contact with the
folded with the same shape and angles as a catalyst and bonds the crack faces together. The
piece of paper would be folded, but in space benefits of using these self healing structures
there is no one to pull them open. As a result of over traditional materials that must be repaired
this these arrays require joints and tension struts by hand are that they heal on their own without
in order to be able to manipulate them. any detection and they allow multiple healing
Additionally because of the Miura-ori folding events to occur.
pattern, these solar arrays are able to expand in Water conservation on the moon is very
two dimensions like leaves which allows important as any water that is lost must be
maximum surface area from a tightly packed replaced by delivery from Earth. One way in
array. By maximizing surface area more which water is lost here on Earth is through
energy can be collected from an array which water main breaks which are very difficult to
takes the same amount of space to launch. repair. Challenges such as the fact that repair
materials may not be readily available if a break
2. Self-healing Materials should occur will be faced when living on the
moon. An additional challenge for designing
Having materials that can repair water pipes on the moon is moonquakes. These
themselves when damaged is an important moonquakes can cause cracks to form in the
consideration when designing for the moon. water pipes which could result in water leaks.
Due to moonquakes and the possibility of being One solution to this challenge is to use self-
struck by small meteorites it is important to healing pipes. Self-healing pipes are inspired
consider this in both the paneling for structures by platelet repair which uses the above
on the moon as well as the infrastructure such mentioned three component system to repair
as piping systems. Solutions inspired by blood vessels8. In order to simulate this
platelet aggregation which uses a wound mechanism a repair agent, a barrier and an
closing agent (platelets), a barrier (healthy activating agent are needed. In addition
vessel walls), and agent activators (collagen) inflammation was a biological inspiration for
can be applied to create self-healing composites the resin so that it would expand quickly in
as well as structures such as self-healing pipes. order to seal off the crack. Concentric circles
The benefit of having these self-healing are stacked to prevent crack propagation and the
structures on the moon is that they can repair resin is stored in a porous storage chamber
themselves immediately if damaged instead of inspired by the structure of bone. The resin then
6

8. is stored between two catalyst embedded layers. the image has changed thereby detecting
This design can be seen in Figure 4 in the motion. Compound eyes are known to be very
appendix. The pipes are made of PVC sensitive to motion. In addition by combining
(polyvinyl chloride). Two different this system with an electrodynamic dust shield
polyurethanes are used as the resin, 4,4’- it would be possible to keep the majority of
Diphenylmethane-diisocyanate and lunar dust off of the lenses4. The electodynamic
polymethylenepolyphenylene ester, and the dust shield is a thin, transparent, flexible sheet.
catalyst is Tetramethylguanidine. The first resin The electromagnetic field of each electrode on
was chosen because of its water resistance and the electrodynamic dust shield is out of phase
strength when cured. The second resin was with its neighbors which creates an
chosen because it produces carbon dioxide as it electromagnetic wave that is able to push the
cures which turns it into a foam that will charged lunar dust particles off the surface.
pressurize the resin chamber and force excess Due to the extremely harsh nature of the lunar
resin to the wound site. When compared with soil it is also important to be able to easily
regular PVC piping these pipes have a life replace scratched surfaces. With the compound
expectancy that it three times longer. Because eye design only the damaged facets have to be
these pipes offer the strength of regular PVC, replaced as opposed to the whole camera that
but are able to heal themselves upon damage would have to be replaced in a typical system.
they provide a perfect solution for minimizing Another benefit of this system is that unlike
the amount of water lost through pipes that are typical motion sensing systems it has an almost
damaged through moonquakes or other events. 360 degree field of vision.
3. Compound Eye Motion Sensor 4. Compound Eye Light Guide
Keeping track of people and equipment Having natural light in a building was
such as rovers on the moon is very important. determined to be important for the health and
In order to do this we propose using a motion well being of its occupants. In order to guide
sensor that is modeled after the compound eye. light into out structures on the moon we
Compound eyes have many different facets and propose using a light guide based on the
allow a much wider range of vision than those superposition compound eye seen in Figure 6 of
of mammals. The apposition compound eye has the appendix. Unlike the apposition compound
facets that are optically isolated from one eye the superposition compound eye’s images
another so that they each provide part of the are projected in an overlapping fashion onto a
total picture19. Figure 5 in the appendix shows common retina19. The light guide will use
a picture of the compound eye and its structures lenses to collect the light and send them through
on the left, and the apposition compound eye on tapered tubes that reflect the light so that it can
the right. The advantages of this type of eye are be focused down into a single fiber optic cable
that images are processed in parallel which and transported into the Moontrifuge. By using
allows for fast motion detection and image a shape modeled after the compound eye it will
recognition, but as a result has diminished be possible to collect light on a three
brightness. For our motion sensor we propose dimensional surface rather than from a given
using the configuration of the apposition light source (halogen lights, etc.) like those
compound eye. Advances in technology have typically used on Earth. In addition this method
made cameras as small as 15 x 15 x 20 mm takes advantage of the abundance of sunlight
possible30. For this system each facet will be available on the moon instead of using an
replaced with a camera. The video feeds will be alternate light source. In addition by
combined by software into a single video feed. combining this system with an electrodynamic
This single video feed then will be analyzed by dust shield it would be possible to keep the
another piece of software to determine whether majority of lunar dust off of the lenses4. The
7

9. electodynamic dust shield is a thin, transparent, cost only a few dollars. This cost reduction
flexible sheet. The electromagnetic field of would allow the implementation of these
each electrode on the electrodynamic dust sensors over large areas which could help detect
shield is out of phase with its neighbors which fires much more quickly and could help
creates and electromagnetic wave that is able to minimize damage if a fire were to break out on
push the charged lunar dust particles off the the moon.
surface. Due to the extremely harsh nature of
the lunar soil it is also important to be able to IV. COMMUNITY SETTING
easily replace scratched surfaces. With this
design it is also possible to replace a single lens Because a lunar settlement must be
as opposed to the whole light. multinational it is important to consider the
community aspects of life for the settlement’s
5. Fire Detection inhabitants. Some of the aspects of a
community setting that must be considered are
Early detection of problems such as fire the social layout, privacy, the interior layout,
is very important for living on the moon. If a protective systems, multiple Moontrifuges, and
fire were to occur and get out of hand it could entrepreneurship on the moon.
destroy essential structures on the moon causing
an emergency situation. Jewel beetles are able Social Layout
to detect fires up to 80 km away5. In order to
do this they have groupings of deformable The seminal event in the politics of
spheres located at the joint between the thorax space was the creation of the Principles
and the second pair of legs. The compounds Governing the Activities of States in the
contained in the spheres have numerous Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including
chemical bonds which vibrate only when the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies23—which,
infrared radiation at a wavelength of 3 to date, has been ratified by 99 different nations.
micrometres excites them. This particular Article II of this treaty explicitly states that
wavelength of radiation is able to escape celestial bodies are not subject to appropriation
absorption and travel large distances from a fire. by any nation, and the treaty further states that
The vibration forces the spheres to expand no military installation of any kind is permitted
which in turn triggers nerves alerting the beetle in outer space. The treaty—which is supervised
of the fire. A sensor based off of the beetle’s by the United Nations Office for Outer Space
detection of the three micrometer wavelength Affairs—was written to encourage collaboration
uses a sheet of polyethylene instead of spheres. and cooperation between space faring parties,
Like the spheres, the polyethylene expands at and the lunar habitat would be expected under
three micrometres and presses against a the articles of the treaty to be made available to
piezoelectric crystal next to it. This induces a all nations.
current in a pair of wires attached to the crystal, Because of the policies set forth by the
allowing the fire to be detected. Current models space treaty, the lunar habitat—like the
are only able to detect at a range of two meters, International Space Station—will not be
but it is predicted that this can be increased to associated with a single nation or private
ten km. Commercial sensors that detect enterprise. The extraterritorial nature of the
infrared radiation at long distances are typically lunar station introduces some interesting and
too expensive for most fire departments due to unusual conditions which are unlike those in
their supercooled semiconductors which need a most terrestrial cities. In particular, the station
constant supply of liquid nitrogen that can cost will need to meet the needs of a number of sub-
tens of thousands of dollars5. Using the jewel populations representing different nations,
beetle inspired sensor would be much less without creating a divide between the different
expensive than the current design and could cultures. However, there has also never been a
8

10. space habitat of the scope and breadth of the share ideas.
proposed lunar station, so a great deal of the According to the experience of the
design for the station must be based on cogent UNU, shared sensibilities and ideologies of
reasoning and speculation—mixed with members of a given profession can serve as a
empirical evidence from the few analogous stimulant to bring people from different cultures
terrestrial organizations. An interesting case together. Relying on professional camaraderie
study for such a multicultural working could be a useful cornerstone onto which a
environment is the United Nations University23, multinational society could be built, but this
a multicultural think-tank headquartered in approach is not sufficient by itself. Kanas, et al.
Tokyo, Japan. Like the UN headquarters in New observed that regular psychological monitoring
York City, the UNU houses students and faculty and counseling is a critical counter-measure to
from all over the world, with a particular space faring crews18. Moreover, the professional
emphasis on scholars from developing nations. camaraderie utilized by the UNU is not
The UNU model encourages professionals from guaranteed to aid in the counselor/counseled
similar disciplines to collaborate, regardless of relationship. Kanas note that this is one
their ethnic or cultural background25. The relationship that depends on shared cultural
University relies on shared interests spanning viewpoints. As such, cultural difference must be
across similar specialties, and the University accounted for in the context of psychological
leaders have argued that education is a crucial countermeasures and counseling.
component in encouraging a culture-spanning Cultural centers therefore could be
dialogue. In the context of the lunar habitat, established on the lunar-habitat that would
these ideas suggest that the inhabitants could be focus on preserving the unique characteristics
housed according to vocation, rather than of every sub-population and providing services
separating the crew by nationality as seen on that are unique to the people in question.
the ISS. The potential drawback of such a Additionally, even though suite-mates would be
housing solution would be an insulating effect assigned by vocation, rather than culture, the
on the various professions—leading engineers individual residences should be adapted to meet
only to speak with other engineers and artists the specific needs of the inhabitant. The
only to speak with artists. There are multiple configurable environment technology
solutions to this problem. previously suggested could be useful in
There has been a great deal of research customizing a generic studio residence into a
into the notion of using a gradient of privacy in specific Asian or European style to suite the
a habitat, and a similar gradient could be used resident. This would also give suite-mates the
to allow professionals with a diverse array of opportunity to learn about the styles and
backgrounds to interact with one another. For traditions shared by their multicultural
example, our team has proposed a layered counterparts. The goal of the station would
environment that would lead an inhabitant from ultimately be to overcome the cultural divisions
a private living area, to a semiprivate suite, to a of people found on Earth, but this goal cannot
public working area. As the individual moves be accomplished by ignoring the uniqueness of
into more public areas, he or she also might the cultures themselves.
begin to see a wider array of different In order for the culture-specific
professionals. Engineers of different ethnic counseling to be useful, there must be sufficient
backgrounds might share a suite, as proposed monitoring of the population to watch for signs
by the UNU, but their working space could be of psychological duress. This issue relates to the
contiguous with artist's studios or scientist’s more fundamental question of the rights of
laboratories. Moreover, communal spaces privacy of the crew. Because of the unique
should be situated strategically near the conditions of the lunar habitat, it is critical that
working space that would encourage these every crew member be able to function
different types of specialists to interact and psychologically and psychically without
9

11. endangering his or her crew-mates. natural settings and views, which may be able
Subsequently, the colony's need to function to be represented by fractal patterns31. Fractals
cohesively may, to some extent, circumvent the are by definition a recursive similar structure,
individual's right to privacy. Day to day that when one part is magnified, resembles the
monitoring should be made as autonomous as entire shape or form. The studies have shown
possible, with data mining systems watching for evidence of psychological and physiological
specific warning signs in crew behavior based health benefits of direct views onto natural
on that crew member's personal history as well environment as opposed to manmade structures.
as the corpus of research in extreme These effects included faster recovery from
environment psychology. In addition to surgery with reduced complications, and
automated monitoring, frequent psychological increased resistance to stress. This preference
evaluations should be conducted by the cultural for natural patterns is believed to be a
centers to guarantee the continued happiness genetically pre-programmed set of emotional
and well-being of the constituent citizens. These responses and perceptual structuring developed
measures can lead to a cohesive, successful over the course of early human evolution on the
living environment. African Savanna. This aesthetic reliance on
observing natural patterns was most likely a
Privacy basic animal need to quickly identify
surrounding environments. As a result, the
The constant exposure to the complex suggestion is often made to base designs off of
technical and social systems due to confinement nature in selecting materials, structure, and
increases the need for privacy. Privacy is not forms. Structural ‘rhyming’, or mimicry of
only the seclusion from external stimuli, but the natural patterns such as rolling hills, clouds, or
ability to control the levels of interaction with forest treetops, generates a visually engaging
people and environment. This control can be experience which is often appreciated by all
implemented by allowing Mutopia inhabitants who observe it. In practice fractal patterns have
to configure their own personal living quarters. exhibited the unique ability to assist in recovery
While everyone is assigned their own space, from stress in confined areas. Fractal design is
how an individual sets up that room is subject to not purely aesthetic however, and subtle design
their personal preferences, and it is this personal implementations such as surface textures,
set up that can identify one’s own personal patterns, lighting distribution, nested spatial
private space. conditions, or even temperature variation have
proven to be just as stimulating and beneficial
Interior Layout and Fractal Design to psychological health. On Mutopia this would
increase the focus on biologically inspired
The interior of the Moontrifuge is designs for public places, and work spaces to
formed from concentric layers. These layers reduce an inhabitant’s tendency to detach from
will contain all of the required living and work an unstimulating setting.
spaces. Living spaces will be located on the
outer levels, while work and utility spaces will Protective Systems
be closer to the center. Each floor will be tilted
at an angle that will allow the resultant gravity There is a very serious need for
acceleration to be perpendicular to the floor. protective systems in the Moontrifuge. As befits
As sensory deprivation from one’s its unique location, it faces several unique
surrounding environment causes the stressors dangers. The biggest danger that was identified
related to isolation, it became important to look came from the threat of meteoroids impacting
at what designs and aesthetics were required to the structure. The second biggest danger that
stimulate the human eye. Several studies have was identified came from radiation, as this can
suggested a biological preference for aspects of pose a significant health risk.
10

12. A protective dome was identified as a redundancy by allowing the residents to
simple solution that would significantly reduce evacuate to other Moontrifuges in the event of a
the risks associated with the first two dangers. serious issue on their Moontrifuge. Multiple
This dome would be built over the Moontrifuge, Moontrifuges also enables growth and opens
utilizing regolith as the ballistic and radiation the way for entrepreneurship.
absorbing material. It would be layered on top
of a metal support structure. Although this Entrepreneurship on the Moon
would increase the cost and duration of
construction, it would significantly increase the Building a permanent settlement on the
probability of survival in the event of a small moon would give entrepreneurial opportunities
meteoroid impact. In addition, thick layers of for NASA, the government, and private
regolith are capable of reducing the amount of companies. With the help of the government
radiation passing through to acceptable levels. and private companies, funding for Mutopia is
Having a single level of protection feasible and eventually could have a substantial
against meteoroid impacts is not sufficient, net profit to continue with space exploration.
given the danger they pose. A second layer of A big entrepreneurial opportunity for
protection utilizing a self-sealing material private companies on Mutopia is Mutopian real
would be required. Current self sealing estate and tourism. With the expansion of more
materials are generally found in fuel tanks, and Moontrifuges, this will allow NASA to lease
react with the leaking gas to seal holes. This out certain spaces on the Moontrifuges and
method would have to be adapted, most likely permit the highest bidding private companies to
by having a liquid or cell divided up into cells, commercialize on Mutopia.
and sandwiched between two strong outer Mutopian tourism will likely grow from
layers. space tourism. The Russian Space Agency has
The overall effect would be similar to already started space tourism and being the only
how ceramic plates in body armor work, provider of space tourism, a few wealthy
wherein the outer layer dissipates the energy of individuals have paid $20 - $28 million to board
the projectile while breaking it up, and the inner the spacecraft and take a trip to outer space.
layer catches it. This system would be effective Many private companies are already planning
against small objects, while also providing on beginning their own space tourism
sufficient protecting against radiation. companies, and it has become such a popular
attraction that over two hundred people have
Multiple Moontrifuges put down their down payments for these trips11.
Having sustainable life on the moon will permit
It is advantageous to build several space tourism to advance to the next step and
Moontrifuges to provide sufficient space for the allow people on Earth to take a vacation.
settlement rather than building one huge
Moontrifuge. These Moontrifuges would be Feasibility
fairly close together and connected by an
enclosed surface or subsurface tunnel-like Mutopia offers the benefit of being built
building, allowing for easy transportation one Moontrifuge at a time which allows the
between Moontrifuges. costs of building to either be increased or
Having multiple Moontrifuges offers decreased as funding is received. In addition
advantages during construction as each can be a this building method also will allow
phase of the overall settlement allowing modifications to be made for any problems that
builders to learn from earlier construction and occur so that future designs will be better
refine their techniques as well as make small equipped to endure situations that cannot
changes to the design. In addition, having currently be predicted. The modularity of
multiple Moontrifuges creates additional Mutopia provides this flexibility in face of
11

13. today’s unstable economy. The technologies biologically inspired design were presented to a
proposed for Mutopia have advanced to the class of the Biomimicry Guild. A more in depth
point that it can be assumed they will be discussion of our project occurred after the
available for use when building a lunar presentation with Bruce Walker, Karen Allen,
settlement. This research allowed the Juan Rovalo, Michelle Namer, and Rodger
identification of challenges encountered when Olivares explaining the competition more in
building structures and living on the moon as depth and discussing the applications of BID to
well the creation of new, innovative solutions to the RASC-AL competition.
these challenges that will allow future lunar
inhabitants to enjoy a safer, more enriching
existence on the moon. By incorporating these V. SUMMARY
safety and redundancy measures into Mutopia,
it is feasible to consider lunar entrepreneurship The lunar environment provides a
and tourism. unique opportunity for designers and astronauts
to create innovative solutions that allow
Outreach maximum use of lunar resources to create a
multinational lunar base. The design of
To inform the Earth-bound public of Mutopia is an example of how creativity has
Mutopia, we can start with efforts similar to the been enhanced by our multi university team of
outreach efforts we did to inform our local engineers, bio inspired designers and social
community of the RASC-AL program. An scientists. A central feature necessary to this
overview of RASC-AL, an introduction to lunar base is gravity. Gravity, generated in the
biologically inspired design, some of the mag-lev supported Moontrifuge, provides a
challenges faced when designing for a lunar physiologically-friendly environment needed
inhabitation, and the biologically inspired for healthy human life. These Moontrifuges
design concepts that we are including in our will be built using lunar materials and will
Mutopia design were presented to three science operate using sustainable methods. Energy and
classes at Lamar County Comprehensive High materials are derived locally or transported
School on April 13, 2009. Before the compactly from Earth. The Moontrifuges will
presentation the students took a short quiz to be outfitted with well designed environmental
determine if they knew what biologically systems to maintain the essential needs for
inspired design was and if they knew whether continued life on the moon. In addition by
NASA is planning on building a lunar using biologically-inspired design it is possible
settlement. After the presentation they were to create new solutions that are better suited to
asked the same two questions in addition to the challenges of the lunar environment. Bio
being asked to identify two of the biological inspired designs for sensing danger and
inspirations for our lunar settlement. Before the repairing walls and pipes through self healing
presentation 13.5% of the students knew what and the redundancy of multiple Moontrifuges
biologically inspired design was and 81% knew shielded under a dome gives the layers of
that NASA is planning a lunar settlement. After protection needed for safety. The fractal layout
the presentation each of the students were able of the multiple units forms an integrated
to define biologically inspired design, knew that system. Outreach efforts inform entrepreneurial
NASA is planning a lunar settlement, and were Earthlings of the variety of possibilities for an
also able to identify that woodpeckers and enriching experience by living on the moon.
geckos are two of our biological inspirations. Mutopia will provide a new, sustainable
In addition to the high school solution for lunar exploration that offers the
presentations a brief overview of RASC-AL and chance to create a multinational settlement that
selected examples of how our group is will enable the maximization of attaining
approaching this design challenge using knowledge of the moon and outer space.
12

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16. VI. APPENDIX
Figures
Figure 1: Exterior of Moontrifuge
Figure 2: Section of Moontrifuge
15

17. Figure 3: Self Healing Polymer28
Figure 4: Self-Healing Pipes8
16

18. Figure 5: Compound Eye and Apposition Compound Eye19
Figure 6: Superposition Compound Eye19
Acknowledgements
We recognize the contributions of Dr. Charles Camarda of NASA, the members of the Polytechnic
Institute of NYU class, entitled: Psychological Issues in the Design of Long Term Space Habitats, and
the members of the Pennsylvania State University class, entitled: EcoInnovation.
17