METRIC FLIGHTTHE ARLO / LUNAR PROGRAM
AI-generated concept of a compact lunar outpost with linked pressure modules, external solar arrays and radiators
THE ARLO · MOON STATION / 04

A small home.
A serious pressure vessel.

Compact modules, private sleeping spaces, maintainable equipment and an isolatable refuge form the habitation concept.

Explore the station ↗Read the design basis

AI-GENERATED CONCEPT ART · NO BUILT STATION CLAIMED

CHAPTER 04 / INSIDE THE HABITAT

The shell and the shelter are different structures

Concept study · 23 October 2026
Four crew / 30 days is a reference mission. Site, transport, safety case, mass budget and hardware remain open.

AI-generated interior concept with compact berths, service racks and a pressure hatch
AI-generated interior concept. Geometry, materials and layout remain unqualified.
Inside the habitat: PRESSURE SHELL, SERVICE ZONE, CABIN, INDEPENDENT SHIELD; conceptual functional relationships
ARLO functional study 04 · conceptual relationships, not a construction drawing.

DESIGN NOTE 01

The shell and the shelter are different structures

The pressure shell carries cabin pressure loads. An external protective canopy or retaining structure carries any regolith shielding load. Dumping soil onto a lightweight pressure vessel is not a design solution. Support reactions, differential settlement, seismic loads, thermal movement and inspection access must be resolved before selecting a shielding geometry.

DESIGN NOTE 02

Size the volume before styling the interior

For a simple cylindrical envelope with a 4 m diameter and 8 m straight section, the cylindrical volume alone is about 100.5 cubic metres. Endcaps, structure, equipment, internal partitions and circulation change usable volume substantially. This is a geometry study, not a selected flight module. Launch fairing fit, landed mass, centre of gravity, deployment clearances and available transport may force a different size.

DESIGN NOTE 03

Make ordinary life work

Four people need sleep privacy, acoustic control, exercise, food preparation, hygiene, sanitation, medical access and a place to work. Scientific racks should be removable without blocking exits. Stowage must be restrained and traceable. Full-scale mockups should test reach, emergency egress, crew congestion and maintenance tasks before internal layout freezes.

DESIGN NOTE 04

Pressure and fire are design decisions

Cabin pressure and oxygen fraction must be selected with physiology, fire safety, structural mass and suit operations considered together. ARLO has not selected an atmosphere. The qualification plan needs leak checks, proof and burst rationale, materials compatibility, combustion controls, detection, isolation and repair procedures. A beautiful cutaway cannot establish human safety.

Research behind this chapter

Sources checked 23 October 2026. ARLO-specific architecture and numbers are proposed assumptions. Public research references do not imply endorsement or partnership.

EDITION 15 · DESIGN STAGE

2 W mirror benchmark · no measured result · independent review and registration pending.

Current evidence and open actions ↗
EDITION 15 · DESIGN STAGE

2 W mirror benchmark · no measured result · independent review and registration pending.

Current evidence and open actions ↗
EDITION 15 · DESIGN STAGE

2 W mirror benchmark · no measured result · independent review and registration pending.

Current evidence and open actions ↗
EDITION 15 · DESIGN STAGE

2 W mirror benchmark · no measured result · independent review and registration pending.

Current evidence and open actions ↗
EDITION 15 · DESIGN STAGE

2 W mirror benchmark · no measured result · independent review and registration pending.

Current evidence and open actions ↗