Moon. Architectural Guide

Architecture on the moon is no longer a naive fantasy dreamt up by space-flight pioneers. In fact, various building typologies for lunar architecture have emerged in recent years. Their prototypes are being tested in hostile regions on Earth and are waiting to be deployed on the moon. This book’s publication marks the 50th anniversary of the first human landing on the moon. It examines all artefacts that we have sent to the moon, from bizarre technologies to habitation modules for astronauts. This architectural guide thus offers a full retrospective of the history of lunar missions, from the space race during the Cold War through to the missions being prepared by China, India, and Israel in the present day. All of these are considered under the rubric of architecture. At the same time, efforts to commercialise space travel have come to the fore in recent years. New players have entered the stage, competing to utilise the moon’s vast and untouched resources. This book also presents essays by and interviews with space experts, including a discussion with Galina Balashova, renowned architect of the ­Soviet space programme, and a piece by Alexander Glushko, son of Valentin Glushko, legendary head engineer of the Soviet space programme. Brian ­Harvey, Gurbir Singh, and Olga Bannova provide an insight into current and future developments in lunar architecture, writing on China, India, and the US, respectively.