Tag Archives: moon

This moon village plans to harness solar energy to sustain tourism in the future!

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In the south polar region of the Moon, architects at SOM–Skidmore, Owings & Merrill have envisioned a Moon Village. In collaboration with ESA–European Space Agency and MIT–Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the debut of Moon Village at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia kicked off an initiative of returning to the Moon five decades after humans first set foot on its surface. Visualized on the rim of the Moon’s Shackleton Crater, the location was chosen with consideration for the near-continuous daylight it receives throughout the lunar year.

Primarily conceived of as a cluster of research stations, Moon Village would host an array of functions spanning from sustainability research opportunities to the future prospect of Moon tourism. The south polar region of the Moon supports the possibility of a self-sufficient settlement, receiving near eternal sunlight that could be harnessed and stored for energy. This part of the Moon also hosts a variety of untouched matter that could offer insight into the Solar System’s early history as well as the general emergence of our larger universe.

Above all else, the structure of each individual hub comprises a modular frame and protective exterior to cater to the varied projects taking place inside. Most of the action would be taking place in each structure’s open centralized space, leaving room for the supportive framework, made from titanium alloy to be built into each building’s perimeter. Describing the structure’s blueprint, the architects at SOM say, “The innovative structural design of the modules is a hybrid rigid-soft system, made of two key elements: a rigid composite perimeter frame and an inflatable structural shell that integrates a multi-layer assembly with an environmental protection system.”

SOM decided on an inflatable shell and rigid, if not a minimal internal framework to easily transport each structure’s building materials by rocket. The combination of a rigid framework and inflatable structural shell, made from open-foam polyurethane and double-aluminized Mylar for insulation, was also chosen by SOM to adapt to internal and external environmental conditions, optimize airflow, and maintain transparent working spaces, while the free centralized volume promotes efficiency and mobility for research projects.

Designer: SOM–Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Located in the south polar region of the Moon, SOM’s Moon Village would harness energy from the sun to generate their research facilities.

Comprising a cluster of Moon Villages, SOM intended for a human-centric design when developing Moon Village.

SOM envisions solar towers to form grids around Shackleton Crater and harness the sunlight’s energy.

Inside, an open centralized volume will leave plenty of room for efficient working and unrestricted mobility.

The main internal structure will be located in the perimeter of each structure.

An external, inflatable structural shell will protect Moon Village hubs from micrometeorites.

The internal framework of Moon Village’s research hubs will ensure the structure’s stability and soundness.

The 17th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia hosted Moon Village’s model debut.

Clear Resin Moon and Mars Keycaps: The Eagle Has Landed (on Your Desktop)

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To celebrate some of humanity’s greatest achievements in space exploration (and sell some cool keycaps in the process), these are Moon Keys. Compatible with Cherry MX switches and clones, the keycaps are available in five varieties: a 1u Eagle Has Landed, Lunar Lander, and Curiosity Rover ($49), and 1.75u Eagle Has Landed ($52), and 2.25u Curiosity Rover ($58). You know, I was just thinking my keyboard could use more of a space theme.

Which is your favorite? I think I’m going to get all the moon ones. And all the Mars ones. That’s $258 in keycaps for those of you keeping track, instantly making it the most expensive component of my computer. Also the best looking.

The keys are available for pre-order now with an estimated shipping date of November 12th, or just in time to show up in the mail, and for me to have completely forgotten I ordered them in the first place. Like a time-traveling surprise gift to myself.

A SpaceX Travel Card sure to shock and awe every space enthusiast on Earth!

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Move away Mars, we have set sights for Jupiter. Or at least graphics designer Arun Raj has! Bringing all our nerdy space-themed love to life, Arun has created a TravelCard that can be used to book a travel plan and double up as a ticket to a visit to the moon, Mars, Saturn, and even Jupiter! You may call that ambitious, but hey, what are we without the power to dream?

While I am guilty of watching every live stream that SpaceX does (and I literally cheered when the Dragon 2 latched onto the ISS successfully) I would love to get my hands on this card whether or not I can afford the $100K ticket price! Posting to the r/SpaceXLounge on Reddit, the SpaceX Travel card shows the easy and fun interactions in the process of booking a ticket to Mars. Visually the card is similar in size to a credit card and fits in one hand, making it easy to access all the touchpoints on the card. While this is a paper mock-up, we can imagine a slim enough e-ink screen that will allow for the technology to carry this. Launch the booking process with fingerprint identification and specify your current location as well as destination – we have to sometimes return from the moon as well. The rest of it is like every ticket booking process – choose your travel date, the number of people traveling and the card auto-updates your arrival date. Arun audaciously doesn’t show the payment interface where we make this $1500K payment – although given how you’re booking a ticket to Jupiter, I presume your SpaceX currency would be pre-loaded or maybe they have a PayPal integration! Hit book now, and you have a nostalgic, movie ticket-like stub that shows your travel details.

 

Designer: Arun Raj of armedialabs

Designed for astronauts, this machete from Case Knives celebrates more than 50 years of its debut on the moon!

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Personally, I couldn’t be in charge of making the carry-on list for astronauts traveling to the moon. Cookies would be item number one, followed by my apartment keys, and then maybe some multi-vitamins. Even my own carry-on lists for weekend trips are pretty questionable. Making a list for space travel, I’d be too distracted with how many pairs of socks the astronauts might need and totally forget the necessities, like toenail clippers or better yet, knives. Since the 1960s, back when the Gemini and Apollo missions were the subjects of every worthwhile conversation, the team at NASA put its trust in W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company, known today as Case Knives, to design the knives that astronauts would bring with them to the moon for half a century to come.

Today, Case Knives relaunches their registered trademark Case Astronaut Knife M-1 in commemoration of more than 50 years worth of space travel. The Case Astronaut Knife M-1 dons an optic white, glossy handle constructed from a space-tested combination of synthetic fibers, offering a smooth finish and an ergonomic grip for accurate and controlled use. The As-Ground machete blade comes with a bite, ground from stainless steel blocks, and a heavy gauge with a double row of sharp saw teeth along its spine. Machete blade’s modus operandi is in survival. Used for heavy-duty jobs like bushwhacking, coppicing, and butchering, machetes are no joke and proved necessary by NASA for use in such an unpredictable environment like outer space. As an entire knife, the Case Astronaut Knife M-1 weighs 7.5oz, measures at 16-inches, with its blade reaching a length of 11.75-inches.

The Gemini and Apollo missions to the moon back in the 60s required some new survival training for prospective space travelers and what better weapon to have at your side for survival on the moon than a machete? Picture your favorite heroes from jungle-adventure films slicing through the tangled brush with a machete the length of their torso. Shrinking that machete’s length down to fit into NASA’s survival kit was a job sufficiently handled by W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company and more than 50 years later, Case Knives celebrates a job well done.

Designer: Case Knives

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Constructed from stainless steel, the Case Astronaut Knife M-1 was designed in order to equip astronauts with an essential survival tool for trips to the moon.

An ergonomic handle gives the Case Astronaut Knife M-1 the punch it needs for astronauts to use it for precise and controlled jobs that require a knife.

The Case Astronaut Knife M-1 comes protected in a themed package reminiscent of its trip to the moon back in the 1960s when NASA first entrusted W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company to make the first knife specifically designed for space travel.

NASA’s delayed Moon lander contracts cast doubt on Artemis timeline

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More signs are emerging that NASA’s Artemis program might not bring people to the Moon on time. The Verge has learned that NASA quietly pushed back the award timeframe for two lunar lander contracts from late February to April 30th, including the lun...