Architecture Student Designs to Support Micro-Hab Sortie Mission

Second year architecture students were challenged to use the example of Moon Habitats as a resource for principles and concepts for sustainability to bring to their earthly designs. As part of their studies, they were treated to a visit to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena where they were privileged to see the ATHLETE rover as well as models of most of the other rovers and satellites that are under JPL’s control. The highlight of their visit was a brief design charette in which the students were charged with the task of creating furniture from the packaging material that will used to contain supplies for the Microhabs, which JPL will study as a part of their analogue habitat scenarios. The students were thrilled to be able to design something that might possibly be useful to the program. This paper will describe the JPL Microhab project context, the supply packaging system, the Microhab sortie project, and the design challenge for the students. Student designs will be described and illustrated.