Background

The Moon is an important partner of the Earth and has always been a mode of attraction for scientists from around the world. Humanity has long desired to return to the Moon and to create the permanent lunar station as the launching pad for future scientific space exploration and interplanetary migration. The construction of a Moon station is an extremely challenging task that requires game-changing concepts as well as novel scientific technologies. The Moon Station Design Competition chooses the Lunar South Sverdrup-Henson Crater and the polar ridge on the left of Shackleton Crater as the sites, encouraging participants to challenge conventional thinking and to propose innovative concepts and technological solutions for the future construction and operation of the Moon Station. There are five key themes in this competition.

 

Competition Themes

Theme 1: Lunar Architecture

The lunar habitation can not only provide life support but also encourage the idea of exploration. Providing a safe, efficient, and comfortable living space for astronauts has become the pressing objective which is needed to be solved. The lunar habitation theme encourages participants to design the projects locating at the Lunar South Pole that utilize in-situ resources and innovative strategies by considering the material and spiritual needs under harsh lunar environments, including high vacuum, microgravity, and special rhythms, as well as isolated and confined conditions.

 

 

 

Theme 2: Lunar Energy

Energy is the cornerstone of the long-term, stable operation of the Moon Station. The lunar energy theme should consider the environment and resource constraints of the Lunar South Pole. Participants are encouraged to propose sustainable, efficient, and feasible new concepts for lunar energy by designing innovative technological solutions for not only efficient energy acquisition but also energy storage for the lunar night. The goal is to reduce the dependence of Earth's resources, ensuring the long-term stability and sustainability of the Moon Station.

 

 

 

Theme 3: Lunar Robot

Robots play a pivotal role in the Moon Station's construction, resource exploration and utilization. The theme of lunar robots is oriented towards applications such as construction of the Moon Station, exploration of permanently shadowed regions and in-situ resources and other potential scenarios considering the unique geographical characteristics and extreme environmental factors of the Lunar South Pole. Participants are encouraged to propose innovative technological solutions involving intelligent lunar rovers or flying robots that should meet the demands of future intricate tasks as well as adapt to the specific environmental requirements.

 

 

 

Theme 4: Lunar Mobility

The lunar mobility system is the vital component of the functionality of Moon Station. The lunar mobility theme is aimed at facilitating extensive and efficient transportation of personnel and resources on the Moon. Participants are encouraged to consider the complex lunar environment and to propose innovative concepts for lunar mobility and logistics systems. These concepts are not been limited to mobile or flying methods, which encompass solutions that facilitate the mobility of materials, equipment, and crews within the Moon Station and also cater to the requirements of long-range scientific exploration in the future.

 

 

 

Theme 5: Astronaut Health and Life Support

Ensuring the health and well-being of astronauts is the fundamental requirement for their long-term work and life on the Moon. The health and life support of astronauts theme includes two directions: 

a) Tackling physiological issues arising from the lunar gravity and space radiation and suggesting novel approaches for monitoring and treating health concerns; 

b) Addressing the life-support material and environmental needs of astronauts by proposing innovative technological solutions for generation of water, oxygen, and for cycling of carbon-hydrogen-oxygen in the micro-environment within the Moon Station. The primary aim is to ensure the positive physical well-being of astronauts during their long-term stay on the Moon.

 

 

 

Material Submission and Requirements

 

Participants who choose theme 1 are required to submit two vertical A1 design drawings (PDF format, 300dpi or above, each drawing within 20Mb) and a 3-5 minutes introductory video. The drawing should contain the description of the scheme, the description of the site selection, the general plan, the floor plan, the effect drawing, the detailed drawing of the enclosure wall structure and other technical drawings to express the design scheme.

 

Participants who choose theme 2-5 are required to submit a technical poster, a detailed report, and a 3-5 minutes record presentation to explain the innovative concepts, advanced designs and technical solutions.

 

The material must be submitted as the compressed package within 100Mb.

 

 

Important Dates

Registration deadline: March 15th, 2024

Submission deadline: April 15th, 2024

Preliminary evaluation: April, 2024

Global final evaluation: May, 2024

Award ceremony and forum: July 20th, 2024

The competition will be staged in preliminary evaluation and global final evaluation.

Preliminary evaluation: All teams must submit corresponding proposal according to the theme they have chosen, and the judges will score the proposals and determine the finalists. The finalists will be announced in April 2024.

Global final evaluation: Finalists will be selected to give a live virtual presentation +Q&A to judges.

The culmination of the Moon Station 2050 Global Innovation Competition will be marked by an Award Ceremony, and will be held in conjunction with the International Moon Day (IMD) 2024 Main Event. This dual celebration is scheduled to take place on July 20 in Harbin, China.  The teams winning the prizes will be invited, at least one member from each team, to give a poster or oral presentation in person.

 

 

More information at https://www.moonstation2050.com