FLEXhab Analog Moon Habitat
In the summer of 2024, ESA announced a call for proposals for the construction of an analog moon habitat for its Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne.
At the training center, there is a hall simulating a lunar landscape. The analog habitat is designed to accommodate astronauts for several days at a time, giving them the opportunity to train on Earth for living in a real lunar habitat. The interior is designed to replicate that of an actual habitat, and entry is only possible through an airlock.
The budget for constructing the entire facility, including furnishings and technical equipment, was capped at €200,000.
Pneumocell (Thomas Herzig), in collaboration with Space-Craft Architektur (Sandra Häuplik-Meisburger) and Lazzero Tecnologie – Mission Design (Ivano Verzola), submitted a project featuring a thermally insulated inflatable membrane shell made of mirrored TPU film, reinforced by a net of ropes. Due to its low transport weight and compact transport volume, inflatable structures are playing an increasingly important role in space habitats, making this construction method highly likely to be used in actual lunar habitats. Additionally, an inflatable structure allows for the creation of a relatively large volume on a limited budget, unmatched by any other construction method.
