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I have recently been interested in Antarctic bases. They seem really interesting to me. I don't know all that much about them. One that came to my mind is SANAE IV.

Some bases can support more than a hundred people. They look so interesting and mysterious, so I started wondering. With all that insulation they can be used almost anywhere. The only problem is resistance against a vacuum came to my mind.

But with a few modifications, can they be used as a lunar surface base?

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There is a huge difference between an Antarctic base (arctic refers to the north pole) and a lunar base.

First of all, a base anywhere on Earth tends to not be completely self-contained. It gets its oxygen from the atmosphere and its food from importation. As such, these bases do not need to be air-tight. On the moon, however, a base would need to produce both of these internally, through the use of agriculture and carbon scrubbing, mainly, on top of being able to isolate itself entirely from its surroundings. The access points would need to be completely different as well, since both large vehicles and small moonwalkers would need to be able to be moved efficiently in and out of the area without much hassle, while maintaining an air-tight seal inside the base.

Also, Antarctic bases are not suitable for the UV exposure that would be experienced on the moon's surface, so heavy shielding accommodations would need to be met.

So, all in all, an Antarctic base is not suited for a lunar base without heavy modifications, despite its impenetrable design.

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    $\begingroup$ Another consideration: space rocks. Eventually, one that's big enough to require deflection would come along. You might want to add a mechanism to do that. $\endgroup$
    – jpgo5000
    Dec 13, 2018 at 18:01

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