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Adam Hoefer
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Marshall Space Flight Center
NASA Mentor: Mike Tinker
Abstract
In order to safely inhabit the moon, a habitat must be constructed that is not only safe, but efficient to transport to the moon. Minimizing the mass needed to transport to the moon is a key element in the design process. Several different layers of material will be used to protect the astronauts from the various elements on the moon such as the temperature difference, radiation, and micro-meteoroid/orbital debris. These criteria, along with minimizing up-mass, are included in the optimization process, for which X-TOOLS is used as the optimization software package.
Another object being analyzed is a solar concentrator. The solar concentrator has a mirror that reflects light from a large area and concentrates it into a much smaller area, which provides enough energy to extract metal compounds from the lunar regolith. The mirror can be adjusted by its supporting hexapod with adjustable legs in order to achieve the correct angle so the light is concentrated in the correct spot. However, the solar concentrator must first be analyzed to ensure that the hexapod can withstand the weight and forces associated with the mirror.
Adam Hoefer was born in Gladstone, MO to John Hoefer and Joyce Hoefer. He is currently a senior in Aerospace Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology. Along with his outstanding academic performance, he is currently the President of his fraternity, Kappa Alpha Order. He hopes to one day work for NASA and eventually become an astronaut.
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