by LUNARK Team
We have quite a lot to share, so let’s get right to it!
The Mock-up

In the past month, we have constructed a static mock-up of the habitat out of MDF and 3D printed ABS joints. We printed a total of 113 joints on our army of CraftBot printers and they performed lovely.
We are using the mock-up habitat to plan the interior layout of the habitat, along with all of the electronics and sensors that will be in it. In parallel, we are getting ready for the final fabrication of the exterior panels and support ring. It’s awesome to finally get the habitat from drawings and model into its full scale.

Folding Mock-up
Another key update is the development of our folding mechanism. We have looked far and wide to figure out the exact material that’s durable, yet flexible enough in the Arctic environment. We reached out to Skandinavisk Båndkompagni and met the founder Kim, who was extremely helpful and agreed to provide the necessary expertise and material for the final habitat. The next step is to fold up a larger segment of the habitat.!
Ewool - Clothing & Equipment (key-partner)
Karl-Johan and Sebastian need the most durable and warm clothes for the mission. ewool will provide powerful, heated wearables, warm clothes, and survival equipment for the extreme Arctic climate. To save energy in the habitat, it’s possible to keep the crew warm with these wearables during nights when they have retired to their sleeping pods.
Based in Canada (the land of extreme winters), ewool makes the most powerful, simple to use, and dependable heated wearables. They are committed to keeping explorers warm and able to perform in the cold.

SUNBEAMsystems Solar Energy (key-partner)

SUNBEAMsystem has stepped in as our key solar energy partner and will provide solar panels, charge controllers, and batteries for the mission. It's the perfect match for our mission. They even come in all-black - our favorite color ;)
Energy is especially important for LUNARK as we simulate a mission to the LUNAR south pole, where sunlight will be a vital energy source for future moon explorers. We've been looking for the toughest, most efficient solar panels for our habitat and have found the very best.
Partners
Other important partners who have joined our mission are:
- Garmin, who have provided us with a variety of sensors, a weather station, iridium emergency beacon, and smartwatches for biometrics.
- Sparkfun, who are supplying most of the electrical components for the habitat’s inner workings.
- Dali, a Danish speaker producer, who are providing audio hardware to fit within the habitat, and strike the perfect balance between power savings while still emulating a natural soundscape for the crew.

Team
As we’re moving towards the goal our team has been growing fast. We are excited to welcome four new smart heads to aid us in our conquest of this big undertaking:
Anthon Schrader: Is assisting with fundraising and Kickstarter campaign.
Frederik Voldbirk: Is a passionate mechanical engineer assisting with structural FEM simulations of the habitat.
Dante Zilliacus: Is a thoughtful industrial designer, who’s developing an Algae Bioreactor which we will bring and test on the mission.
Konstantin Chterev: Is the psychological lead on the project, making sure the right research is being conducted, and the right data is collected on the mission. Nicknamed “Freud” within the team.
Kickstarter
We won't spoil too much yet, but we are launching a Kickstarter campaign soon, where our backers will be able to own something from the mission themselves. Amongst other rewards we have a mission patch, 3D printed scale model and habitat blueprint poster. So stay tuned ;)
We hope you’re as excited as we are. As we finalize the prototyping and experimenting, we’ll soon move into production of the final habitat.
See you around,
The LUNARK Team