UX DESIGN
2024
MARSHMAlLOW INC
The Moontown Cargo Transportation System was a collaborative design project developed under Marshmallow Inc. for SpaceX’s lunar settlement scenario. The challenge was to design a sustainable and efficient system for transporting mined ice from a lunar outpost to a refinery, and then distributing processed water across Moontown’s key locations, including the farm and resettlement areas. The brief emphasised systems thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration, requiring a balance of engineering feasibility, environmental resilience, and human-centred design within the harsh conditions of the Moon’s south pole.
KEY OBJECTIVE
The core objective was to conceptualise a logistics network that could sustain the life and productivity of a growing lunar settlement. This meant ensuring the continuous transport of vital resources, primarily water, through reliable and maintainable infrastructure. Key goals included durability against lunar dust and temperature extremes, energy efficiency through solar reliance, and automation to reduce human labour in hazardous environments. The team aimed to design a modular, scalable system that could adapt as Moontown’s population and infrastructure expanded, maintaining both technical precision and sustainable operation.
OUR SOLUTION
The final design proposed an underground pipe tunnel system that safely transported melted ice from the refinery to the settlement’s essential facilities. The solution integrated magnetic and pneumatic principles to maintain flow under low gravity, protected by regolith insulation for thermal and impact resistance. The system’s circular routing ensured continuous distribution, while embedded maintenance channels allowed autonomous repair and monitoring. The result was a cohesive, future-facing transportation system, one that captured the essence of collaborative problem-solving, sustainability, and lunar innovation.
