Consequences of an Absent Atmosphere
The absence of atmosphere on the Moon entails a series of fundamental consequences for any habitat project. First, the total absence of water: any water molecule would evaporate instantly. Any living organism would be destroyed within seconds without adequate protection.
Without a greenhouse effect to regulate temperature, variations are extreme and rapid: from +120°C to −160°C depending on solar exposure. The lunar surface is directly exposed to X-rays and ultraviolet rays from the Sun, to solar winds composed of protons, and to cosmic radiation — all harmful to living organisms.
The Polar Advantage
The Moon does however present a notable advantage at the poles: the slight inclination of its axis (1°30') means the Sun always remains at the horizon, offering relatively constant temperatures between −30°C and +30°C. This motivates the choice of the south pole as the preferred site for the base.
This polar thermal stability is a considerable architectural asset: structures experience far lower mechanical stresses, and thermal management of habitable spaces becomes more manageable.
Architectural Responses
To compensate for the absence of atmosphere, the architectural design must provide pressurised spaces maintaining a pressure equivalent to sea level (approximately 1 kg/cm²), and a continuously recycled atmosphere of oxygen and nitrogen.
The project also includes decompression airlocks at every interface between habitable spaces and the exterior, double walls capable of resisting micro-meteorites, and a plan designed to minimise exposed surfaces while maximising habitable volumes.
"The Moon is at once the most radical challenge and the most fascinating laboratory for architecture. Every constraint there becomes a generative principle."
Croquis de recherche
Airlock system for the first base: seal between modules and the hostile lunar environment.