While the race for the lunar assembly is intensifying, the European Space Agency (ESA) in cooperation with DLR (German Aerospace Center) and Saga Space Architects Flexhab, a modular habitat for moon training, presented for life on the moon. Flexhab is the heart of the next generation of the next generation in ESA, which is now fully functional in the Luna facility of the European Astronaut Center (EAC) in Cologne in Germany.
Behind the elegant 28 square meter living space is a deeply integrated digital infrastructure that is powered by Autodesk Fusion 360 and Autodesk Revit, so that Flexhab can seamlessly pass from the conceptual model to mission environment.
Flexhab's mission: Simulation of lunar life for the training of the Artemis era
Flexhab is part of ESA's strategy to prepare European astronauts for upcoming moon missions in the artemis program of NASA. The habitat was supported for 30 days up to four astronauts and acts as a training simulator on a full scale, which reflects the conditions on the moon surface from spatial restrictions to behavioral stress.
This moon analog system includes a galley, a private crew quarters, laboratory rooms and a fully equipped air lock for extrave -hikular activity (EVA) simulations. In the Luna simulation environment of ESA, integrates and directly connects with geological models and regolith simulants and offers astronauts a real experience of surface surgery.
The integrated cloud platform from Autodesk makes Flexhab.
The success of Flexhab is thanks to the integrated design ecosystem of Autodesk. The Saga Space Architects was strongly based on the cloud-based platform from Fusion 360 in order to manage complex design geometries, simulate mechanical systems and test variables in every design phase.
The software enabled the cooperation between international teams in real time and enabled the integration of mechanical design, system technology and astronaut ergonomics into a single 3D environment. According to the SAGA team, the generative design functions of fusion enabled a quick prototype of several layout options to ensure that no millimeter was wasted in a structure that was intended for high-performance and limited life.
Each component of foldable hinges and build -up furniture to Eva ports and life support pipes has been practically modeled and tested, with the moon restrictions replicated such as low gravity, temperature fluctuations and pressure needs. The agility of the software became decisive because Flexhab not only fulfilled structural standards, but also the psychological and physiological needs of isolated astronauts.
Fusion 360 and Revit: From the concept for certification in a workflow
Fusion 360 formed the mechanical and structural backbone of the project, but Autodesk Revit played an equally decisive role in the treatment of workflows for building formation modeling (BIM), documentation and system conformity.
Since Flex Haupers had to encounter the precision and safety regulations at the air and space level, Revit was used to document and pursue every aspect of the build up to material tolerances, sensor integrations and environmental systems. This enabled the architects and engineers to switch from early phase design to regulatory submission without ever leaving the Autodesk ecosystem.
By using a digital twin from Saga, the team was able to simulate environmental variables within the habitat, from the circadian lighting distribution (critically for the maintenance of the astronaut sleep cycles) to air flow behavior, thermal comfort and analysis of the crew movement. These simulations were not conceptual; They were important decision -making tools.
Human -centered design for the life of the Deep Space Living
The Saga Space Architects from Copenhagen, which was founded in 2018, specialize in the design of habitats for extreme and isolated environments, with previous work being tested in the Arctic and under the sea. With Flexhab, the studio has brought together technical resilience and psychological sustainability to ensure that every design detail contributes to the well-being of the astronaut.
The habitat has intelligent environmental controls, modularly living pods and circadian lighting systems in ISS-degree, which help regulate sleep patterns and reduce fatigue in longer missions. The Autodesk simulation tools made it possible for the team to test the light diffusion, acoustic buffering and the spatial comfort before production, which is crucial for a structure to maintain life in simulated sophisticration insulation.
Flexhab is willing to miss the mission that is operated for the most advanced analogous training program of the ESA. The project was created from light materials, spatial composite materials and even 3D printed wood fiber biocomposites and the limits of architectural materiality exceeded.
Its shape is very compact and transportable and simulated, which one day has to be brought onto the market on Mondlander. While this flex owner is earth-bound, he was dimensioned and constructed taking into account future space missions.
The Autodesk tools ensured that every decision caused a performance destination until the curvature of a panel or at the depth of a storage break. Not only durability, but also user -friendliness, the maintenance and emotional comfort.
A software family, a vision: the Saga Autofesk partnership
Co -founder of Saga Sebastian Aristotelis emphasized how Autodesk's all-in-one ecosystem made it possible for a small independent studio to deliver a project with such complexity and ambition. “For the first time,” he states “We have a software family that enables us to go from zero to 100. This would not have been possible a decade ago. Today I can sketch something at night and my team can build it the next day.”
In addition to Autodesk, industry partners such as Bosch and Sony supported the Flexhab project, which contributed to immersive control systems and embedded tech interfaces, but it was the platform of Autodesk that carried the design from the concept to the functional prototype. From the first CAD line to the final conformity tests, the workflow remained in the Autodesk ecosystem.
Cologne as a launchpad: Flexhab in the Luna facility
In contrast to previous prototypes, which were tested in remote volcanic terrain such as Lanzarote, this Flexhab was constructed directly in the ESA's Luna facility in Cologne, a permanent moon simulation center for long-term analogous missions.
The placement enables astronauts to train all year round in realistic moon scenarios, EVAS, geological sampling and livelihood management within the limits of a fully integrated lunar base analogue. While Flexhab is developing, it will play a central role in the preparation of ESA crews for the ongoing presence on the moon at the end of 2020 and beyond.
Flexhab project details
project name: Flexhab
Location: Luna Facility, European Astronaut Center (EAC), Cologne, Germany
Main agency: European space agency (ESA)
partner: DLR, Saga Space Architects, Autodesk, Bosch, Sony
software: Autodesk Fusion 360 (mechanical design), Autodesk Revit (BIM, documentation)
Habitat: 28 m²
function: Astronaut training habitat for simulated lunar missions
Design features: Foldable modules, private quarters, Eva Airllock, Circadiane lighting, 3D printed wooden bio-composites
Mission: Supports four astronauts for missions up to 30 days
Timeline: Completed in 2025 and now used at EAC
Images with the kind permission of Autodesk.