SAGA Design’s FLEXHab To Train Astronauts For Lunar Exploration

SAGA, a design studio based in Copenhagen, Denmark, has now unveiled its FLEXHab structure, which will help with future lunar missions. This new structure is a four-bedroom training facility with intricate designs mimicking the Moon to simulate lunar experiences when training astronauts.

The FLEXHab Structure From SAGA Design Will Prepare Astronauts For Future Lunar Missions

FLEXHab is a product that will bring astronauts from both America and Europe under one training program. Currently, this structure is in the Luna Analog Facility in Cologne, Germany, where it will cater to the training needs of various astronauts preparing for lunar missions.

The structure was developed by the European Space Agency (ESA), the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), and SAGA Studio. It will help in the training and research necessary for coming NASA Artemis missions that aim to make the Moon habitable.

As part of the training and research programs, astronauts will get to live in the habitat for weeks. During this period, they will work and carry out everyday activities inside the habitat which features designs that help to stimulate the Moon’s living conditions.

Since this structure will help stimulate life on the Moon, it features various sections, one being the living area and the other being the stimulation of the Moon. Astronauts living in this habitat during their training will carry on activities between the two sections of the habitat, just like they would on the Moon.

There are over 100 functional requirements for this structure as given by the ESA some being layout and volume, lighting, material selection and airflow and ventilation. These requirements will help this structure to successfully meet the needs of the training program that it was designed for.

The Design Details On The SAGA Studio FLEXHab Habitat

From the video above you can get to see in detail some of the design choices that SAGA Studio went with for this project. From their official blog about the FLEXHab habitat, we can gather more details about the design of this habitat and its functionality.

Regarding the interior, FLEXHab features cutting-edge technologies like circadian lighting, smart monitoring, and high-performance textiles all of which will help boost the overall wellbeing of its inhabitants. It features a galley, lab, airlock, and sleeping cabins which “operate in both closed-loop and non-closed-loop modes” for flexibility and resilience while in use.

SAGA Studio says that the material and texture used in this habitat “stimulate crew well-being and distance the habitat from a sterile laboratory.” The habitat can host up to 4 people, uses 3D-printing building technology, and runs on an operating system that handles most in-house controls.
With NASA making plans for various lunar missions under Artemis we might soon get to see this habitat in use. The SAGA Design FLEXHab habitat might set the foundation for future lunar habitats.