L2-STR-PRES
CRITICAL
STRUCTURAL
Level 2 · hardware
Pressure Vessels
Pressure Vessel System
Primary containment shells providing pressurized interior volumes
Purpose
Contain pressurized atmosphere and protect interior equipment from lunar vacuum
Context
Component of L1-STR within the Lunar Ark system
Principles
- ▸Cylindrical pressure vessels provide optimal strength-to-weight ratio
- ▸ASME BPVC Section VIII governs pressure vessel design (adapted for space)
- ▸Fatigue analysis accounts for pressure cycling and thermal loading
- ▸Leak-before-burst design philosophy ensures cracks detected before catastrophic failure
Typical implementations
- ▸ISS pressurized modules (aluminum alloy, 101.3 kPa design)
- ▸NASA Orion crew module pressure vessel (aluminum-lithium)
- ▸ESA Columbus module pressure shell design
- ▸Commercial space station pressure vessel concepts (Axiom, Orbital Reef)
Lunar considerations
- ▸External vacuum means full 1 atm differential across vessel wall
- ▸Thermal cycling causes fatigue at welded joints and penetrations
- ▸Micrometeorite impact resistance integrated with MMOD protection
- ▸100-year fatigue life requires conservative design margins
Specifications
Functional
| primary function | Contain pressurized atmosphere and protect interior equipment from lunar vacuum |
Operational
| thermal range c | -173, 127 |
| lifetime years | 100 |
Interfaces
Provides
- Pressurized volume for habitat and equipment
Requires
- Structural framework supporting pressure vessels
- Structural health monitoring of pressure vessel integrity
Decomposes into
L3-STR-PRES-SHELL
Pressure Vessel Shell
Primary pressure containment shell maintaining 1 atm internal pressure in lunar vacuum
L3-STR-PRES-END
Pressure Vessel End Caps
Dished end caps sealing cylindrical pressure vessels at each end
L3-STR-PRES-WELD
Pressure Vessel Welds
Weld joints assembling pressure vessel shell and head sections into complete vessels
L3-STR-PRES-INSP
Pressure Vessel Inspection Provisions
Built-in provisions for periodic inspection of pressure vessel integrity
Cite this entry
Lunar Ark Codex. "Pressure Vessels" (L2-STR-PRES). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://lunarark.com/entry/L2-STR-PRES
Licensed CC-BY-SA 4.0. You may reuse and adapt this entry with attribution, under the same licence.