Design and analysis of a foldable pyramid-shaped architecture for environmental protection at Lunar surface

The foundation of sustainable lunar architecture demands a creative structural design that can withstand the extreme conditions of lunar environment. This study proposes an innovative design for a hybrid lunar structure, containing a foldable internal frame, a lightweight expandable layer, and a regolith layer. This design can significantly reduce the variation in temperature during the day and night. Thermal and mechanical properties are studied to evaluate the stability of structure. In thermal analysis, thermal dynamics of the structure describe the input and output flux of heat. The surface temperature distribution and variations across a lunar day at different solar elevation angles are explained to demonstrate the thermal behavior of the structure. Regolith layer thickness optimization is conducted to ensure interior thermal stability through heat transfer analysis. To provide mechanical flexibility, solid mechanics analysis optimized the expandable layer thickness and evaluated the different boundary loads applied to the internal frame. The application of in-situ lunar regolith enhances cost efficiency, deployability, and reduces launch mass. The design and results support the structure's capacity for storage compartments, which protect mission assets, such as habitation chambers, scientific instruments, and rovers, from extreme temperatures and micrometeorite impacts. This provides a stable platform for operations. This research paves the way for advanced lunar exploration by contributing a minimal-approach, resource-efficient design that facilitates early-stage missions and lays the foundation for lunar settlements. Future work will focus on enhancing material resilience, exploring geometric intricacies, and conducting experimental validation to further improve this infrastructure.