Study on the Creation of the Russian Manned Lunar Station as an Architectural System with Transport Infrastructure, Ecology, and Sustainable Tourism in Space

In recent times, we have been seeing more and more projects and programmes to create a space industry and economy, as well as to build industrial, research, and even military bases on the Moon. The United States, Japan, India, and China are at the forefront of this movement.

As the Moon race accelerates, Russia can and must seize the initiative in the information field if nothing else. It needs to create and provide the international community with designs not only of a lunar rover or a landing module, but of an entire transport system on the Moon with settlements that provide for functional zoning and essential services. Multifaceted, multi-variant designs need to be created that offer various solutions to a single problem and provide a long-term outlook, with vivid, memorable images of the future exploration of the Moon, par­ticularly since this does not require major material costs. There need to be more references to Russian resources. New projects will help introduce domestic terms into international space terminology describing the exploration of the Moon, as was the case with the word ‘sputnik’.

A broad information stream needs to be created to promote Russia’s desire to develop the Moon and tell people about our lunar station and our lunar research programmes in layman’s terms. School and university students should get involved in this by holding master classes, seminars, presentations, and competitions for the creation of a lunar station and space architecture.

Unlike the money-grubbing and consumerist projects of Japan and the United States to lay rails on the lunar surface and drill ore mines, Russian can actively pro­mote the maximum preservation of the lunar landscape and lunar identity. We will announce that Russia plans to develop space ecotourism to the Moon. When build­ing our lunar station, we will take into account gravity, which is six times less than on Earth, and erect cable-stayed structures that rise upward on supports, while lunar transport will mainly use funicular systems. Our approach to lunar develop­ment should be actively promoted in the international media, since will definitely look more effective and humane than the idea of laying rails on and drilling mines in the lunar surface.

Announcing exciting, humane, eco-friendly lunar projects could become our domestic hobbyhorse.

As an architect, I believe that architecture is currently lacking in outer space. The interior of the ISS is simply a space for survival. Just like in ancient times, when people did not think about beauty, lived in huts, and only cared about survival, we are also at the very beginning of the era of space exploration right now. Over time, however, the desire to make sense of and humanize the space around us led man to the creation of architecture as such. The same thing will happen with the habitable area of outer space.

We can already envision and pitch our Russian Manned Lunar Station (RMLS) not simply as a unit for survival - a cramped space with coils of wires hanging everywhere (although it will be like that at first, of course) - but as a volumetric and spatial work of architectural art that reflects both the latest technologies and sym­bols of Russian identity and culture.

The architecture of the RMLS should be expressive, recognizable, and remi­niscent of images of Russian and Soviet architecture and painting.

Like the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl - an unexplainable miracle that was built in several warm months in 1165, never broken by enemies, time, or floodwaters, and surrounded by endless snow-covered fields - our station, amidst the lunar silence and emptiness, will become a proclamation of our culture and technology. In a word, the Russian dream in outer space!

It is believed that we will build the RMLS after the implementation of the International Scientific Lunar Station (ISLS) programme.

In Soviet times, architects thought about human colonization systems in space. And now the creation of manned facilities in outer space needs to be planned in alliance with architects.

The works of Georgy Krutikov, a 1928 graduate of the Russian State Art and Technical School, are striking for the elegance of his hand-drawn graphics, for­ward-looking thinking, and vision of space architecture.

There are beautiful compositional solutions for space colonization in the works of Vyacheslav Loktev, a professor, honoured architect of Russia, correspond­ing member of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics, laureate of the World Bien­nale in Sofia, and one of the founders of the new Space Architecture movement.

A project by architect Norman Foster’s studio that was commissioned by the European Space Agency is interesting technologically, but uninspiring com­positionally: a design for a lunar base that can be built using a 3D printer (https:// archi.ru/world/45840/mezhplanetnyi-masshtab): only a cylindrical container with inflatable formwork would be delivered to the Moon in a rocket. Following instal­lation, a mixture of lunar soil (regolith) and magnesium oxide would be sprayed onto it using a 3D printer, while a saline solution would serve as ‘printer ink’. To prevent the liquid from evaporating in vacuum conditions, it would be applied in minimal doses directly into the regolith layer. Once it is ‘printed’, you would have a material with large cavities that resembles bird bones in terms of its structure. The base project is designed for four people, and its walls would be able to protect them from very high and low temperatures, cosmic gamma rays, and small mete­orites. For now, the main problem remains lunar dust, which is very dangerous for the respiratory tract.

I am an architect, a teacher at the Moscow Architectural Institute, a teacher of the highest qualification category, and a member of the Znanie Society. I am passionate about designing the RMLS as an architectural object that promotes domestic cosmonautics, and have held several presentations and master classes on creating a three-dimensional model of the lunar station. I have a certificate of gratitude from the Znanie Society for participating in the Scientists for Children programme in 2023, and a certificate of gratitude from the Young Building Experts of the Future Forum for holding a master class on creating a lunar station model at the Moscow Manege in 2024. My presentation and master class addressed the following issues:

-    What the RMLS station will look like

-    How it will differ from the stations of other countries

-    What colonization system is preferable on the Moon

-    How to protect the lunar surface and what transport to use on the Moon

-    How gravity affects structural foundations and architectural space

-    What tectonics are

-    How to create gravity in space

-    Why smart glass is needed on the Moon

Below are my designs of the lunar station that I present to master class partic­ipants:

Lunar Station Design No. 1:

The station consists of functional units: residential, a block of offices, sus­pended gardens, a unit with cinemas, exercise machines, and treadmills, and an agricultural unit, among others.

The station is designed for long-term habitation. The size of the station can be built up with new units, e.g., kindergartens and schools. One of the main require­ments for the future station is the interchangeability of its components.

Lunar Station Design No. 2:

The station’s facade is made of modern panels that function like smart glass: the panels transmit sunlight and filter dangerous radiation; in the event of increased sunlight, the panels darken themselves; and the panels also function as solar bat­teries and provide the station with energy. The surface of the panels is extra strong, which guarantees safety in the event meteorites strike.

The station is built upwards and out to the sides to preserve the natural lunar landscape.

The lunar surface is covered by a layer of up to 2 metres of fine dust-like rego­lith, which is another argument in favour of building a station on supports.

Lunar Station Design No. 3:

The Russian lunar station should be expressive, recognizable, and reminiscent of images of Russian and Soviet architecture and painting. Amidst the lunar silence and emptiness, it will become a proclamation of our culture and technology. In a word, the Russian dream in outer space! It will have everything: universal brother­hood and justice, a revolutionary breakthrough, centuries-old traditions, the Inter­cession of the Virgin Mary, Malevich’s Black Square, brides and grooms will soar above the Lunar City, and there will be cranes flying...

Lunar Station Design No. 4 (Aurora):

The Moon lacks the natural clues of scale that we are accustomed to: there are no trees, clouds, rivers, buildings, or light and spatial depth.

Light facades would be used during the lunar night, which lasts two weeks.

The facades would consist of a system of mirrors that transmit sunlight to the dark side of the Moon.

The complex surfaces and various textures of the lunar station’s facades would saturate the Moon with elements that are on a scale with human perception.

The textures of the facades replicate the surfaces of wood, stone, as well as the structure of snowflakes, grass, and other Earth-like structures.

The lunar transport system in the settlement would use cable-stayed struc­tures that rise upward on supports, while lunar transport would mainly use funic­ular systems.

The master class participants design and construct a model up to 40 cm high using coloured cardboard.

I conduct master classes on creating a three-dimensional model of the RMLS as an architectural object:

On 4 April 2023, as part of the ‘Scientists for Schools’ campaign organized by the Russian Znanie Society, a master class titled ‘Creating a Lunar Station Design’ was held at Kerimov Moscow School No. 1538 in class 7A.

A total of 28 students worked on the project. They were divided into teams, each of which was responsible for its own part of the overall model. One person glued the lunar surface, another one glued the elevators and roads of the lunar station. One team glued the office unit, another - residential blocks, and the third - blocks with farms and agricultural fields. The young people also designed recreational spaces on the lunar station, including green boulevards with exer­cise machines, public spaces, theatres, and cinemas. They were enthusiastic and demonstrated team spirit and creative initiative.

On 9 September 2023, as part of the University Saturdays programme, the Moscow Architectural Institute held a master class titled ‘Lunar Station’ for stu­dents in grades 8-11 and anyone else who was interested.

The station would presumably consist of numerous functional units: a res­idential block, a block of offices, suspended gardens, a unit with cinemas, exer­cise machines, and treadmills, and an agricultural unit for growing food products, among others. The station would be ready for the long-term habitation of the Moon trailblazers. The size of the station could be built up with new units with kindergar­tens and schools.

On 14 March 2024, as part of the Young Building Experts of the Future Forum, the Moscow Manege hosted a master class on creating a model of the lunar station, which was attended by 42 schoolchildren from 10-11 engineering classes of Mos­cow and students from Moscow Automobile and Road Construction State Techni­cal University. The master class was visited by an unexpected and highly honoured guest: Sergey Avdeyev, a pilot cosmonaut and hero of the Russian Federation.

At the presentation, Kurysheva spoke about existing lunar station designs, the state of the lunar soil, and the need to preserve the lunar landscape. She suggested that a lunar station could be built from blocks formed from lunar soil, so that after the lunar objects are dismantled, the blocks could once again be crushed into lunar soil. Blocks could be formed from lunar soil through the electromagnetic adhe­sion of particles, with the ability to rapidly dissolve the blocks into lunar dust in the future.

Sergey Avdeyev told the audience a lot of interesting facts: there is no mag­netic field or strong radiation on the Moon, depressurization is the main problem in space, and a support-free environment is a challenge for people who spend long periods in space. The master class concluded with an exhibition of lunar station models and a discussion of the issues that were addressed.