A range of geometries were developed to serve as interlocking building elements for the construction of main infrastructure components of a lunar base, i.e radiation shielding for inhabited and pressurized modules, non-pressurized shelters as dust and micro-meteoroid protection for machinery, a launch pad apron, and terrain modelling for a radio telescope on the far side of the moon. Following different approaches in parallel, a variety of element types have been developed, which can be categorized as follows:
- Elements with 3-dimensional interlocking capacities
- 3D formfitting stackable (e.g. derived from Platonic geometries, comb-shaped)
- 3D randomly packed aggregates
- Elements with 2.5-dimensional interlocking capacities
- Formfitting for curved and self-supporting vault construction elements
- Elements with 2-dimensional interlocking capacities
- Flat ground stabilizing elements for surface battlement
credit: a Lunar base using formfitting stackable interlocking building elements derived from Platonic geometries, LIQUIFER Systems Group, 2018