Darwin Space Station Design
2022
Project Overview
Our team participated in the international competition ‘‘NSS Space Settlement Contest 2022’’, obtaining the Second Prize with the project “Darwin”.
The main theme of the project was the design of a space habitat that can support a population of approximately 12,500 inhabitants for an indefinite period of time.
The project successfully combines elements of a technical nature: elements related to the materials used in the settlement construction, engine design, living conditions, artificial gravity, protection against harmful factors in space, design, space transport, etc., as well as elements related to the inhabitant society by respecting ethical norms (education, the legislative framework and the regime, hospitalization, food production, resource management, etc.).
Project Outcome
Exterior Model Adaptation and Detailing
The creation of the model was based on the following principles:
• Location – The position of the settlement plays a massive role in how successful the project would be. Our project explores orbits that have yet to be used in a mission, allowing plenty of room for discoveries.
• Resource Collecting – Not getting all of our resources from Earth would help reduce the project’s massive cost. We detail several ways of obtaining and extracting various resources in space.
• Research – Creating a self-sustainable space settlement that exceeds anything humanity has ever done comes with many new research opportunities.
Exterior Model Adaptation and Detailing
Exterior Model Adaptation and Detailing
The creation of the model was based on the following principles:
• Location – The position of the settlement plays a massive role in how successful the project would be. Our project explores orbits that have yet to be used in a mission, allowing plenty of room for discoveries.
• Resource Collecting – Not getting all of our resources from Earth would help reduce the project’s massive cost. We detail several ways of obtaining and extracting various resources in space.
• Research – Creating a self-sustainable space settlement that exceeds anything humanity has ever done comes with many new research opportunities.
Interior Modelling
While designing the interior we reflected on ensuring the living conditions:
• Structure – Choosing a structure that maximizes the available space and guarantees the safety of people is crucial. This project details ways of making the most out of the available space and features and precise calculations to avoid any hazards, such as insufficient air caused by the calculated volume being smaller than the actual volume.
• Energy – Making a long-term independent settlement means it will have to rely on solar energy. Our chapter details a newer solar panel technology with a lot of potential, which could become widely used in future space missions, due to its rapid growth.
• Debris shielding – Protecting the settlement from space debris will extend its lifetime and help protect the population. We showcase the materials used to minimize the impact of space junk on our settlement.
• Radiation shielding – Preventing the radiations from reaching the organisms inhabiting the settlement is of the utmost importance.
Presentation Materials
The presentation materials aimed to bring our vision to life and offer a clear understanding of the most important aspects of the project.
