Design of a Lunar Surface Structure. I: Design Configuration and Thermal Analysis

An igloo-shaped magnesium structure, supported on a sintered regolith, covered by sandbags of regolith shielding, and made using rapid manufacturing technologies is proposed as a potential design of a lunar structure. Also, a thermal analysis is carried out to study the effect of the regolith shielding as well as the sensitivity of such designs to measurement uncertainties of regolith and sintered thermal properties. It is shown that 3-m-thick regolith shielding can insulate the structure regardless of its location on the Moon.