A visualisation by the Space Technology Centre
A habitat is being created at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow. This specialised laboratory will facilitate space simulations. Located in the Space Technology Centre building that is under construction, the lab will serve as a place for the development and training of future space personnel. The habitat will also be the first university facility of this kind in which students will be able to test solutions in practice under conditions similar to those in the Moon or Mars missions.
In the emerging space base simulator, students and scientists will test new materials for the construction of space bases, as well as navigation, telecommunication, and biomedical engineering solutions. As Doctor Agata Kołodziejczyk, the co-creator of the laboratory and creator of two existing habitats in Poland, who works in the Space Technology Centre, points out, the habitat will be a testing ground for multifarious research projects that our students will come up with. Therefore, the habitat will also study relationships and social issues, group dynamics, and decision-making processes, as well as the division of roles and tasks between participants.
The AGH UST habitat will focus on investigating the equipment used in space missions, including on-board components that use artificial intelligence, but also water purification and waste management solutions. Under safe laboratory conditions, researchers will analyse reactions to stressful situations and various sound and visual stimuli, ways to adapt to new and unknown conditions, and separation from daylight. An additional advantage will come in the form of testing new materials and, for example, space suits and equipment used in real missions. Furthermore, the habitat will test its users to determine their ability to cope with limits in access to electricity, water, and other necessities.
A visualisation by the Space Technology Centre
A visualisation by the Space Technology Centre