Luna Gaia posits a pathway to new technologies, philosophies, systems applications and infrastructure aimed at achieving a closed loop habitat model for human settlement on the moon. The framework supports an ideal profile for an optimum of 11 human crewmembers on the lunar surface for a period of 18-36 months. The report recommends the overall systems architecture, the engineering processes, as well as the research, development and orchestration of separately phased precursor missions by the year 2030. The Luna Gaia design solution focuses on optimizing the synergy between all regenerative processes of a network of closed loop life support systems. It also details the ethical and philosophical considerations of a lunar settlement and the wider implications for international law, policy and future interplanetary governance. Advancement of earth-based application of these processes are highlighted and strategies for effective information transfer and handling through education, media communication, outreach and advancement of futures research. Download report here...

Luna Gaia: Operation Moon Base

The environment of Luna Gaia is designed to mimic our own planetary biosphere in miniature – complete with interconnected ecosystems of microbial, plant and animal life. The Luna Gaia design architecture employs a modular, hybrid bioregenerative network of systems to produce reliable sources of oxygen, water, energy, food growth and waste processing. Engineered to recycle all essential materials, the lunar biosphere will serve as the testing ground for future extraterrestrial settlements. Next stop: the red planet, Mars. Closed Loop Life Support System (definition): An environmental control system that works to create a habitable environment in a sealed space such as a spacecraft or biosphere – and which fully recycles all supplies used in that environment. - OCE ontario

NASA Ames Center Director's Colloqium Presentation 2006

In November 2006, the lead Luna Gaia authors traveled to NASA Ames Research Center in California at the invitation of Center Director Dr. Simon (Pete) Worden (Luna Gaia TP Co-Chair). Francesc Betorz (ES, James Chartres (AU), Nil Garcia (ES), Jean-Francois Gauthier (CA), Tracy Gill (US), Ting Ho (CA), Sara Poirier (CA), Dr. Sarah Jane Pell (AU), Jessica Scott (CA), Erin Tranfield (CA) and Jeroen Vandersteen (BE) presented with the support of Shabnan Ozlati (US), Stephen Eisele (US) and Michelle Murray (US) for the Directors Colloquium: a gathering of approx 80 scientists, researchers and administrators. Dr. Worden was especially delighted at the focus on the closing the biological-loop and optimizing the synergy between all regenerative processes.

Luna Gaia, a habitat designed by an international team of scientists, engineers and graduate students, provides up to a dozen astronauts with fresh vegetables, fish, spacious rooms and clean drinking water (albeit recycled from their own urine). The group designed the self-sustaining habitat, which harvests solar energy and reuses all of its waste, while attending the summerlong Space Studies Program at the International Space University in Strasbourg, France. Now, with interest in the moon accelerating thanks to NASA's focus and Google's new Lunar X Prize, Luna Gaia is proving to be more than just an academic exercise. In the past year, the team has presented the plan to several space programs, including NASA, which may incorporate ideas from Luna Gaia into its own lunar outpost, planned for sometime after 2020. "It's a really good stepping- stone toward designing an outpost on the moon," says William Marshall, a physicist at NASA's Ames Research Center. - AboveTopSecret.com

Luna Gaia - ISU SSP06 TP Authors(Alphabetically)

Agenjo, A., Amaro, M., Auclair, S., Bertorz, F, Chartres, J., Deng, Y., Eisele, S., Gagnon, Dr. M., Galley, N., Garcia, N., Gauthier, J-F., Gill, T, Griffith, K., Gou, Z., Harkins, D.T., Haslam, D.T., Ho, K.T., King, A., Kuvaeva, V., MacPhee, S., Wilfred Mbezal, H., Murray, M., O'Gallachoir, P., O'Regan, J., Onoue, N., Ozlati, S., Pell, S.J., Poirier, S., Takahashi, H., Tateshita, Y., Transfield, E., Vandersteen, J.

Conferences Presented

• Decadal Plans for Space Science, 7th Australian Space Science Conference Sydney, Australia. 4 - 27 Sep 2007. Presenter Dr. James Chartres, Dr. Sarah Jane Pell
• 2nd International Space & Society Conference, European Space Agency, The Netherlands. 27 Feb 2007 Presenter Dr. Sarah Jane Pell
• IAC International Aeronautical Congress, Valencia Spain. 2 Oct 2006 Co-Presenters Francesc Betorz, David Haslam
• Why the Moon? ISU Annual International Symposium, Strasbourg, 21 Feb 2007