Want to See What the First Moon Base Could Look Like?
I'm in full support of putting a base on the moon. I'm actually a little shocked that it hasn't been done yet. One day it will happen, and when it does, this is what it could end up looking like. These are some CG renderings designed and created by the European Space Agency and architectural firm Foster + Partners, who are developing the technology to make this happen. How cool is that?! On top of that the space station design is pretty freakin' rad.
The logic is that if 90% of the stuff we need to build the base is already on the Moon, we only have to ferry the 3D printing robots (you can look at one below) and the lightweight parts, like the inflatables and the solid connector and entry segments. This will make this idea a lot cheaper than the alternatives.
Xavier De Kestelier of Foster + Partners Specialist Modelling Group says that their construction 3D printing technology has already produced entire structures under extreme conditions on Earth, so it's perfectly reasonable to do the same up there:
"As a practice, we are used to designing for extreme climates on Earth and exploiting the environmental benefits of using local, sustainable materials. Our lunar habitation follows a similar logic."
I can't wait for the moon base to become a reality! After it happens the next step would be to build a vacation resort for the hardcore sci-fi fans!