A.S.T.R.O Hab

Oxygen

We will use an oxygenator to give us oxygen in the Hab. Without Oxygen, we will die.

 

“In the HAB, I have the oxygenator, a large piece of equipment that breaks apart CO2 to give the oxygen back.” (page 5)

 

 

Energy

To get energy, we will use solar panels that can gain energy from the sun. A source of energy is important if you want to use electronics or all the NASA equipment.

 

“The solar cell array was covered in sand, rendering it useless (hint: solar cells need sunlight to make electricity). But once I swept the cells off, they returned to full efficiency.” (page 9)

 

 

 

Radiation shielding

Radiation is very harmful and can cause death, so the canvas we used for the Hab should prevent any radiation from getting inside.

 

“With no magnetic field, Mars has no defense against harsh solar radiation. If I were exposed to it, I’d get so much cancer, the cancer would have cancer. So the HAB canvas shields from electromagnetic waves. This means that the HAB itself would block any transmissions if the lander were inside.” (page 108)

 

 

Food

Uses a variety of shelf stable ingredients and dehydrated foods, that are put into a menu for the astronauts to eat. The food is sent up before so it is there when the astronauts get there-NASA. You can also grow crops depending on the condition of your agriculture area. A person can survive 3 weeks without food.

 

“They grew even better than I expected. Mars has no insects, parasites, or blights to deal with, and the HAB maintains a perfect growing temperature and moisture at all times.” (page 71)

 

Water

The water reclaimed collects humidity from the air, and turns it into water we can drink. A person can only survive without water for 3-10 days.

 

“Every twenty hours, I’ll have 10 liters of CO2 thanks to the MAV fuel plant. I’ll vent it into the HAB via the highly scientific method of detaching the tank from the MAV landing struts, bringing it into the HAB, then opening the valve until it’s empty. The oxygenator will turn it into oxygen in its own time. Then, i'll release hydrazine, very slowly, over the iridium catalyst, to turn it into N2 and H2. Ill direct the hydrogen to a small area and burn it… But if i can pull it off, I’ll be making water continuously, with no need to store hydrogen or oxygen. It’ll be mixed into the atmosphere as humidity, but the water reclaimer will put it out.” (page 29)

 

Pressure

An airlock is an airtight room with two entrances that allows an astronaut to go on a spacewalk without letting the air out of the spacecraft. It keeps the inside air and pressure in and the outside air out.

 

“I limped back to the Hab and fumbled my way into the airlock. As soon as it equalized, I threw off my helmet.”  (page 6)

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Weir, Andy.  The Martian.  New York: Random House, 2014. Print.