Extraterrestrial Construction: Engineering under Lunar Uncertainty

This presentation will examine lunar architecture not as science fiction, but as an applied problem in risk management, engineering under uncertainty, and evidence-based design. We will explore what it would actually mean to plan and build structures on the Moon, where our geotechnical data are sparse, environmental hazards are extreme, and many Earth-based design assumptions simply do not hold. We will delve into strategies for site planning in an extreme, unfamiliar environment, where Earth-based assumptions must be rethought. Key challenges discussed include working with limited data, potential hazards from the environment, and the need for adaptable, resilient design solutions in lunar conditions.

Dr. Caitlin Ahrens is an assistant research scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and the University of Maryland. She is a member of the Diviner Science Team with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. In collaboration with Artemis, she serves as a technical support scientist to assist in risk assessments of astronaut, rover, and lander activity at the lunar surface. Dr. Ahrens is Principal Investigator on a recent lunar sustainability work funded by the (former) NASA Office of Technology, Policy and Strategy. She also is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) working on how lunar architectures should be monitored for hazards, including construction, at the lunar surface.