Design of a Deployable Structure for a Lunar Greenhouse Module

Kurzfassung

A design study was carried out at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Bremen, investigating the optimal structural design for a lunar greenhouse module. On account of the volume requirements of a lunar greenhouse and the volume constraints of modern launchers, the study has considered only inflatable and hybrid structures. Using system engineering tools, the structural requirements of the greenhouse module were defined. Concepts, such as a cylinder or semi-cylinder, were developed and assessed using an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). A preliminary design of the structure was performed for the selected concept. The final structure design is a semi-cylindrical hybrid structure with rigid end-caps, 20 m in length and with a 3 m radius. The compliance of the design with the requirements was verified through modeling using tools such as GEANT4 and MSC Nastran.