We’re going back to the moon — this time, for good. NASA expects to establish a permanent base on the lunar surface by 2024. So engineers must design modular living and working quarters that can house four astronauts for four weeks at a time. The shelters will have to store adequate supplies of air, food, water, and equipment and protect occupants from heat, dust, and radiation. NASA engineers are also developing pressurized, two-person rovers so astronauts can explore hundreds of miles of moon terrain. And since it’s easy to get lost in a lunar environment, NASA has given Ohio State University engineers $1.2 million to develop a navigation system that will work like GPS but without satellites. That way, no one will get lost in space.

Watch this cool video by NASA about living on the moon:

Filed under: Aerospace, Explore Engineering

Tags: Aeronautics, Aerospace, Engineering Is