Moon Pod Essay

It has been 50+ years since mankind planted its boots into the Moon’s regolith, but all that will change very soon. We will go back to the moon, not just to plant a few flags and bring some rocks back home, but to create a permanent presence and a gateway to uncharted worlds. To return to the moon with this goal in mind, you will need a skilled crew, each member of which possessing important qualities critical to the success of the mission. My team would consist of 4 members, leading an expedition lasting 7 days. In the crew, there would be a flight engineer, a geologist, a chemist, and myself, the commander. The role of the flight engineer is to monitor our spacecraft’s systems and make repairs if necessary. The role of the geologist is to survey the Moon’s harsh terrain and carry out the steps necessary to navigate safely while also recording any notable surface features that may be beneficial or dangerous for our crew and future explorers. The role of the chemist is to study water ice within the craters by the landing site on the Moon’s South pole. This is especially important due to water’s ability to be broken down into breathable oxygen and rocket fuel. Finally, the role of the commander is to ensure mission success and crew safety. All of the members of the crew should be thoughtful and mindful of each other and their surroundings as to avoid conflict and ensure safety. To help future explorers, we will leave behind a robotic system that turns lunar regolith into a printable building material. The robot will be able to print a habitat casing in which crew habitation modules and other sensitive equipment can be placed to aid in protection from extreme radiation and micrometeorites.