GOOD DESIGN AWARD

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Award-winning item: Space Development Technology Research Method [Antarctica Mobile Station Unit as Research platform]
Business Owner: MISAWA HOMES CO., LTD.
Category: Research and development method
Company: MISAWA HOMES CO., LTD. (Japan)
Misawa Homes Institute of Research and Development Co.,Ltd. (Japan)
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Japan)
National Institute of Polar Research (Japan)
Award Number: 20G201365
Outline of Good Design Award winners: Outline of Good Design Award winners 2020

Outline* The shown information is the one as of the awarded date and might has been changed.

Outline: The Antarctica Mobile Station Unit is a collaborative research platform shared by Misawa Homes, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Japan's National Institute of Polar Research. The Antarctic offers a challenging environment in which to investigate new housing designs, technologies and systems, and to develop more sustainable homes as well as a crewed space exploration base.
Producer: MISAWA HOMES CO., LTD. - Misawa Homes Institute of Research and Development Co., Ltd. - Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency - National Institute of Polar Research
Director: KAGUYA project, Engineering Department, MISAWA HOMES CO., LTD.
Designer: KAGUYA project, Engineering Department, MISAWA HOMES CO., LTD.
More information: https://www.misawa.co.jp/nankyoku/idoukichi/
Already in service/use: 2019/10/29

Evaluation

The Antarctic poses a number of challenges when installing new facilities, as construction has to be carried out by local research staff, because builders cannot be sent there, and efficient use must be made of the limited energy sources. To solve these problems, prefabrication technology was utilized to create an energy-efficient base unit requiring minimal construction. In fact, the observation that Antarctica shares these conditions with lunar bases and other space environments has led Misawa Homes to tap into the project in research with the National Institute of Polar Research and JAXA. We were impressed by the idea of using and enhancing prefabrication and housing technology in the polar environment to contribute to the construction of space stations and by the steady efforts to build up research in this area.