Note
First Prize: National Space Society (NSS) - 2025 Live in a Healthy Space Contest.
Representing Viet Nam in the 12th Grade Individual category.
AEROLABS (Autonomous Ecological Research & Orbital Laboratory for Agricultural Bio-Security) is a strategic orbital infrastructure proposal designed to solve the "First-Generation Food Paradox" in Mars colonization. Rather than relying on high-risk ground-based agriculture upon arrival, AEROLABS utilizes a swarm of autonomous orbital biological labs to cultivate, process, and stockpile a diverse 2.6-year food supply before the crew ever touches down.
The project identifies that early Martian ground colonies are too vulnerable to dust storms, radiation, and mechanical failure to support reliable agriculture. By moving production to a Variable-Rate Centrifuge Swarm in orbit, we ensure bio-security, gravity-agnostic fluid physics, and a guaranteed caloric surplus for the first 10-person crew.
- Hull Material: Aluminum Alloy 7075-T7351 (High stress-corrosion resistance).
- Power System: 11 kW via Flexible Array Concentrator Technology solar arrays.
- Cultivation: High-pressure Aeroponic Racks with AI-driven nutrient misting.
- Redundancy: Distributed "Swarm" configuration to prevent single-point biological failure.
The mission is divided into three distinct satellite profiles to ensure holistic crew health:
- Baseload Profile (60% Swarm allocation): High-calorie staples (Sweet Potatoes, Microalgae Powder (Chlorella)).
- Lipid Profile (20% Swarm allocation): Essential fatty acids and proteins (Dwarf Soybeans, Microalgae Powder (Schizochytrium)).
- Sensory Profile (20% Swarm allocation): Psychological well-being and micronutrients (Dwarf Chilies, Strawberries).
This project is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) - see the LICENSE file for details. You are free to share and adapt this work as long as appropriate credit is given.