FYI,

"NASA-Langley Tests Planetary Habitats"
Associated Press
http://www.wvec.com/news/local/stories/wvec_local_080607_nasa_langley_
mars.8d60189.html

: If astronauts ever spend some time on the moon, they could be
: sheltered in surface structures being tested at NASA's Langley
: Research Center.

: The idea isn't too far from camping.

: An early model of the inflatable planetary surface habitat is
: 20 feet high, 12 feet wide and covered in nylon webbing. It sits on
: legs. Later models could be used someday as living quarters,
: storage units and air locks for astronauts stationed on the moon.

: "We've been to the moon, we've walked on the moon, but we've never
: stayed on the moon," said Karen Whitley, Langley's project lead for
: the lunar habitat.

: As early as 2020, NASA plans to house crews of up to four astronauts
: in the first lunar outpost before establishing a colony to use as a
: launching point for eventual missions to Mars.

: "It's like camping," Whitley said. "When you go camping, you have
: so much stuff to take . . . and you have to pack it all in limited
: space."

: Langley is evaluating a model from Delaware's ILC Dover LP, which
: has manufactured spacesuits for NASA. It has a $3 million grant
: from NASA for developing habitats. The capsule is made of layered
: nylon and designed to provide four people with 1,872 cubic feet of
: living and storage space.

: NASA plans larger structures that will protect astronauts from
: solar radiation, bombarding micrometeoroids and lunar temperatures.
: Inflatable structures could serve as building blocks for a lunar
: base camp.

: Project manager Judith Watson describes the habitat capsule as
: a "pop-up camper" to provide extra space for the NASA crew. Once
: other structures are erected on the lunar surface, the habitats
: could, for example, be turned into high-tech coat closets for
: storing spacesuits.

: Later this year, engineers will investigate how multiple layers of
: space-age fabrics might withstand lunar temperatures ranging from
: minus 387 degrees Fahrenheit to 253 degrees, and how to keep moon
: dust out.

: Dave Cadogen, ILC Dover's director of research and technology, said
: inflatable habitats present issues similar to spacesuits, with
: inner and outer layers aimed at protecting astronauts and
: connecting pieces.

Mark Reiff