LUNAR BASE
Shackleton Crater settlement layout, habitat modules, power grid, and ISRU plant
C:\MOON\BASE> analyze --layout
LOCATION: Shackleton Crater, Lunar South Pole
TOTAL PRESSURIZED VOLUME: 1,500 m³ (Phase 1)
POWER CAPACITY: 500 kW solar + 100 kW nuclear backup
CREW CAPACITY: 12 permanent, 24 surge
// SITE_SELECTION.TXT
Shackleton Crater at the lunar south pole was selected for the permanent settlement due to three critical advantages: near-permanent sunlight on the crater rim for solar power, permanently shadowed regions on the crater floor containing water ice deposits, and direct line-of-sight to Earth for communications.
The crater rim peaks receive sunlight 80-90% of the time, while the interior remains in permanent shadow at temperatures below -230°C, preserving billions of tonnes of water ice deposited over billions of years by comet impacts.
// FACILITY_DATABASE.DAT
Shackleton Crater Rim, 89.9°S
Primary Settlement Hub | Phase 1
Central command module, crew quarters for 12, medical bay, airlock complex. Located on crater rim for near-permanent solar exposure. Direct line-of-sight to Earth for communications.
200m north of Base Camp
4x Inflatable Modules | 1,200 m³ total
Sierra Space expandable habitats deployed by Starship. Each module provides 300 m³ pressurized volume. Connected via rigid tunnel segments. Covered with 2m regolith overburden for radiation shielding.
Malapert Peak Ridge, 1.2 km south
Target: 500 kW sustained output
Deployable solar arrays on elevated peaks for maximum sunlight capture. Battery storage for 14-day lunar night contingency. Microwave power beaming to crater floor operations.
Shackleton Crater Floor (PSR)
Water extraction & electrolysis facility
Robotic mining of icy regolith in permanently shadowed regions. Thermal extraction of water ice, electrolysis into LOX and LH2. Target output: 10 tonnes propellant per month.
600m west of Base Camp
2x reinforced landing zones + blast berms
Sintered regolith landing pads to prevent debris ejection during Starship landings. Blast deflection berms protect base. Cargo offloading crane and rover transport corridor.
400m east of Base Camp
Radio-quiet zone telescope + geology lab
Far-side relay link for radio astronomy. Geological sample processing lab. Regolith analysis instruments. Seismic monitoring network for moonquake detection.
// REGOLITH_CONSTRUCTION.TXT
The long-term base expansion strategy relies on in-situ construction using lunar regolith. Robotic 3D printers will sinter raw lunar soil into structural elements using concentrated solar energy or microwave heating.
ICON's Project Olympus has demonstrated the ability to print load-bearing structures from simulant regolith. Each habitat shell requires approximately 50 tonnes of raw regolith and 72 hours of continuous printing time. Regolith overburden provides radiation shielding equivalent to 5 cm of lead.
// EXPANSION_ROADMAP.TXT
Phase 1 (2026-2028): Core base camp, 2 habitat modules, solar array, ISRU pilot. Crew of 4, rotations every 180 days.
Phase 2 (2028-2030): Expanded to 4 habitat modules, full ISRU plant, nuclear backup power, pressurized rover garage, science dome. Crew of 12, permanent occupation begins. Phase 3 (2030+): Regolith-printed expansion, agricultural greenhouse, propellant depot enabling lunar orbit refueling for Mars transit vehicles.
C:\MOON\BASE> █