International Space Settlement Design Competition - Components of Proposal

Components of Proposal

There are a total of five major sections. These sections are based on the various factors required in a colony's design and function.

• Structure oversees the design and materials used to build the colony, as well as the overall design and allocation of interior and exterior spaces. Different structure details are included in this section; examples include the living spaces, the colony's corridors, spacecraft nodes and ports, and the sections of the colony for business or industry. The section details how the inside of the station looks like from the inside, the artificial gravity, and the method and schedule of construction. Methods of expansion and repairs are also objectives in this section.

• Operations is where the choice and justification for the colony's location is explained. They also determine the colony's infrastructure and facilities, how different facilities are connected, and calculates on the logistics of food production, powering of the station, communications, waste management, day/night patterns and climate control. This section also projects the needs required for long-term projects, such as establishment of terraforming stations for expansion. Mining and supplies (both raw goods and agricultural) specifications are outlined in this section.

• Human Factors designs the interior living space of the colony, making it as "Earth-like as possible". It gives the details of the colonist's needs, their education and jobs, the recreational opportunities, and available medical systems. The wellbeing of the colonists, from the psychological factors to the physical needs of food, housing and exercise, are determined within this section. This section also designs the community, a task which includes the zoning of residential, commercial and public facility buildings and the transportation system. The number and design of tools and spacesuits to be used in everyday use as well as in special areas (such as the zero-g or the low-g sectors of the colony) are also detailed in the Humans Factors section.

• Automations Design and Services determines the automated factors of the station. The section must specify how robots will be used in the colony's construction, to transport people and materials, repair the colony, the computer networks, and the control of data. They design how computers will be used on the colony, how robots look like and are used, and the usage of these components during emergencies (solar flare, meteor impact, meteor shower, hull fracture.) This section also outlines the use of automated factors for the colony's functions.

• Business Development is the section that is responsible for selling the proposal to the Foundation Society. All details of business endeavors must be described in depth, along with being connected to the overall mission of the settlement. This section is connected to other sections on matters of commercial opportunities, industrial manufacturing costs, research development, and maintenance costs.

The proposal also includes a required section entitled "Schedule and Costs," which describes the construction schedule, detailed by location and stages, and total initial cost, detailed by major section and by stage of construction. An additional section known as "Special Studies" is added only during the finals, which includes plans for emergency procedures to react to two disaster scenarios, as given by the Request For Proposal (RFP). The scenarios outlined change year-to-year.