COULD HUMANS LIVE IN SPACE?

Why should the government invest in your habitat?

 

I believe that the government should invest in my Mars habitat because I haven taken many important factors for survival into account for my design. These factors will be described in further detail below. My habitat contains 7 modules, each with a different purpose.

 

I have designed my habitat so that the inhabitants do not need to wear their spacesuits inside. The entryway to my habitat has an airlock because the atmospheric pressure outside is a lot lower than the pressure inside my habitat. An air lock is a small chamber with two airtight doors which cannot open at the same time. It allows people to move between two environments with different pressures, while minimizing the change of pressure in the vessel. This is important so that the inside pressure of my habitat is not changed every time someone comes in or goes out. It will save lots of resources and energy. The module right after the airlock is a coatroom where inhabitants can take off their spacesuits and store them. This room also has extra supplies such as oxygen tanks and repair materials for the suits.

 

I made the kitchen module the centre of the habitat because inhabitants have to come here at least 3 times a day for meals. The kitchen is equipped with a fridge, stove, and a sink. It has lots of cupboards to store food and dishes. There is a communal table and chairs, so everyone can sit together and eat. I also decided to include the bathroom in this area because it is in the central room.

 

I included a greenhouse module because I think this is important for long term living on Mars. If people are going to be living on Mars, they need to be able to produce their own food. I decided on a hydroponics greenhouse for multiple reasons. You don’t need nutrient rich soil and can be used almost anywhere. Plants grow faster, and harvesting is easier. The last reason is that it uses less water than soil plants because you can reuse the water. My greenhouse will also include a fish hatchery. This will work in a symbiotic relationship with the hydroponic system. The fish won’t need to be fed because they will eat the algae from the hydroponics system. This benefits the hydroponics system because it keeps the water clean, and the fish poop will help create nutrient rich water for the plants. The last feature of my greenhouse is an air filtration system run by certain plants. These plants take the C02 in the habitat and change it back to O2 because there needs to be enough oxygen in the habitat so that the inhabitants can survive without spacesuits.

 

The water tower module is another important feature because humans need water to survive. My habitat recycles all the water used and also uses heated water pipes to heat the habitat. The water tower takes the recycled water and purifies and cleans it, then stores it in reserves. It also heats the water and then pushes it through pipes that run to each module. These pipes are used to heat the rooms, as well as distribute water for use.

 

Since living on Mars is such a new endeavour, I decided that including a control and research centre was important. This module allows for research to be conducted and it has an antenna for communication with Earth. This centre also allows for control of the whole habitat and monitors the pressure levels, and the oxygen, water, and energy consumption. On the roof are solar panels which move with the movement of the sun during the day. The energy from the solar panels are used to power the habitat.

 

Physical and mental health are also important factors because living in a new environment can cause a lot of stress to the body and mind, so I included a medical centre module. This module contains an in-house doctor and psychologist to deal with an medical emergencies or mental health issues of the inhabitants.

 

The last module of the habitat is the sleeping and entertainment quarters. Inside this module, each inhabitant has a small room that includes a bed, desk, and closet. It is important that each inhabitant has their own space. This will help keep the peace in the habitat as well as reduce the stress of inhabitants. In this module is also a common area that includes couches, a TV, a gym and some games such as ping pong and foosball. It is important that inhabitants have a place that they can hangout, relax, and have fun with their friends and family.

 

I also designed a spacesuit that my inhabitants will wear when they are living on Mars. The spacesuit has elbow and leg joints that allows for easier movement, and the boots have a deep tread for stability and grip. The gloves have tactile sensors inside of them which allows the wearer to feel as if they didn’t have gloves on, allowing for better fine motor skills. I thought this was important because when I put winter gloves on, it is hard to do anything with fineness because I can’t feel anything. On the back is the oxygen tank and temperature regulator. The arm shows the oxygen levels of this suit, which is important that it is in clear view of the wearer since oxygen in the suit is the most important part. The front has the control panel for the suit. Last but not least, I included an emergency kit. This kit has glue, tape, a pocket knife, zip ties, and band aids. This is important because the wearer might find themselves in a situation where they need to repair something quickly.

 

Overall for my habitat, I think I addressed all the important factors crucial to the survival of humans on another planet. This is why I believe the government should invest in my Mars habitat.