Adventures of an interplanetary architect | Xavier De Kestelier

翻译人员: Yu Xie 校对人员: Yolanda Zhang

I must have been about 12 years old

应该是我十二岁的时候，

when my dad took me to an exhibition on space,

我父亲带我看了一个航空展，

not far from here, in Brussels.

就在离这不远的地方， 布鲁塞尔。

And the year was about -- I think it was 1988,

我记得那一年是1988年，

so it was the end of the Cold War.

也是冷战结束的那年。

There was a bit of an upmanship going on between the Americans and the Russians

那段时间美俄的竞争还在继续，

为那场展览带来了一些噱头。

bringing bits to that exhibition.

NASA brought a big blow-up space shuttle,

美国宇航局带来了 一个超大的航天飞机，

but the Russians, they brought a Mir space station.

但是俄国人呢， 把和平号空间站带了过来。

It was actually the training module,

实际上那些只是训练舱，

and you could go inside and check it all out.

所以你可以进去参观 并且进行实地操作。

It was the real thing --

那些可都是真家伙——

where the buttons were, where the wires were,

这里有按钮，那里是电线，

这边是宇航员吃饭的地方， 那边是他们工作的地方。

where the astronauts were eating, where they were working.

And when I came home,

等我回了家，

the first thing I did, I started drawing spaceships.

第一件事就是画宇宙飞船。

Now, these weren't science fiction spaceships, no.

但不是科幻小说里的那种飞船，

They were actually technical drawings.

而是现实中的飞船工程图。

They were cutaway sections

这幅画里涵盖了

of what kind of structure would be made out of,

飞船船体上的材料剖面，

where the wires were, where the screws were.

电路的分布，螺钉的位置。

So fortunately, I didn't become a space engineer,

而值得庆幸的是，我并没有 成为一名航天工程师，

but I did become an architect.

而是成为了一名建筑师。

These are some of the projects that I've been involved with

这是过去的十年半内

我所参与的项目中的一部分作品。

over the last decade and a half.

All these projects are quite different, quite different shapes,

这些项目造型各异， 外形千差万别，

and it is because they are built for different environments.

这是因为它们是根据 所处环境而设计建造的。

They have different constraints.

它们各自都有各自的限制。

And I think design becomes really interesting

我认为当你受到外界 严格的限制的时候，

when you get really harsh constraints.

设计这项工作就变得十分有趣。

Now, these projects have been all over the world.

这些作品现在位于 世界的不同地方。

A few years ago, this map wasn't good enough.

几年以前，这张地图 变得不那么实用了。

It was too small.

它太小了。

We had to add this one,

我们必须附上这张图，

because we were going to do a project on the Moon

因为我们准备在月球上 为欧洲航天局

for the European Space Agency;

打造一个项目。

they asked us to design a Moon habitat --

他们让我们在月球上 设计一个栖息地——

and one on Mars with NASA,

并在火星上为NASA也打造一个，

a competition to look at a habitation on Mars.

这是一场观察火星栖息环境的较量。

Whenever you go to another place,

无论何时你到了另外一个地方，

as an architect

作为一名建筑师，

and try to design something,

当你想设计一些东西的时候，

you look at the local architecture, the precedents that are there.

你会观察当地的建筑， 并把它当成范例。

Now, on the Moon, it's kind of difficult, of course,

而在月球上，这一点非常难以做到，

因为月球上只有这个东西。

because there's only this.

There's only the Apollo missions.

那里只有阿波罗探测号。

So last that we went there, I wasn't even born yet,

它上一次到这儿的时候， 我还没出生，

and we only spent about three days there.

而人类只在上面待了3天。

So for me, that's kind of a long camping trip, isn't it,

所以对我来说，这只是一个 时间比较久的野营旅行，不是么？

but a rather expensive one.

只不过价钱很高。

Now, the tricky thing,

而问题在于，

when you're going to build on another planet or a moon,

当你准备在另外一个星球， 比如月球上进行建造的时候，

is how to get it there, how to get it there.

我们要怎么到哪里， 通过怎样的方式到达哪儿。

So first of all,

那么首先，

to get a kilogram, for example, to the Moon's surface,

假如要把1公斤的东西 搬到月球表面，

it will cost about 200,000 dollars,

就需要大概20万美元，

very expensive.

这非常昂贵。

So you want to keep it very light.

所以，你必须让你的设计非常轻巧。

Second, space. Space is limited. Right?

其次，空间。 空间有限，不是么？

This is the Ariane 5 rocket.

这是阿里安5号火箭。

The space you have there

而这个火箭你能利用的空间

is about four and a half meters by seven meters, not that much.

大概只有4.5m x 7m， 可能还不到。

So it needs to be an architectural system

由此可见，这需要一个

that is both compact, or compactable, and light,

可压缩或者轻巧的建筑系统，

and I think I've got one right here.

而我正好有这样一个系统。

It's very compact,

这个非常致密

and it's very light.

而且非常轻便。

And actually,

实际上，

this is one I made earlier.

这是我更早的时候做的一个样本。

Now, there's one problem with it,

现在，我们遇到了一个问题，

that inflatables

可膨胀的材料

are quite fragile.

非常不结实。

They need to be protected,

他们需要额外的保护措施，

specifically, when you go to a very harsh environment like the Moon.

尤其是当你处于像月球这样 恶劣的环境中的时候。

Look at it like this.

就好比这样。

The temperature difference on a Moon base

月球地表的温差

could be anything up to 200 degrees.

可达200度。

On one side of the base, it could be 100 degrees Celsius

即在基地的一面 温度为100摄氏度，

and on the other side, it could be minus 100 degrees.

而另外一面的温度 则为零下100摄氏度。

We need to protect ourselves from that.

我们需要保护我们的材料 免受温差的影响。

The Moon also does not have any magnetic fields,

而且月球上基本没有什么磁场，

which means that any radiation -- solar radiation, cosmic radiation --

这就意味着，任何形式的辐射—— 太阳辐射，宇宙辐射——

will hit the surface.

都可以直接到达地表。

We need to protect ourselves from that as well,

我们自身也需要保护自己 免于受到这些辐射的影响，

protect the astronauts from that.

尤其是宇航员。

And then third,

第三点，

but definitely not last,

但还不是最后的一点，

the Moon does not have any atmosphere,

月球没有大气层，

which means any meteorites coming into it will not get burned up,

这就意味着任何陨石砸到月球上， 沿途是不会被烧灼的，

and they'll hit the surface.

就这么直直地砸到月球表面。

That's why the Moon is full of craters.

这就是月球表面 有这么多环形山的原因。

Again, we need to protect the astronauts from that.

与此同时，我们也需要 为宇航员提供相应的防护措施。

So what kind of structure do we need?

那么，什么样的结构 能够满足这些条件？

实际上，最好的方式就是洞穴，

Well, the best thing is really a cave,

because a cave has a lot of mass, and we need mass.

因为洞穴的质量很大， 我们也正好需要足够的重量。

We need mass to protect ourselves from the temperatures,

我们需要足够厚的墙体 去隔绝这些温度，

from the radiation

这些辐射

and from the meteorites.

以及这些随时可能掉下来的陨石。

So this is how we solved it.

所以这就是我们的解决方式。

We have indeed the blue part, as you can see.

就如你所见，我们设计了 这样一个蓝色的区域，

That's an inflatable for our Moon base.

这就是月球基地可压缩的部分。

It gives a lot of living space and a lot of lab space,

它包含了大量的居住以及 实验室的空间，

and attached to it you have a cylinder,

并且通过圆柱状的这个东西 与洞穴外壳相连，

and that has all the support structures in,

这些就提供了足够的支撑结构，

all the life support and also the airlock.

以及所有的生存所需以及空气开关。

And on top of that, we have a structure, that domed structure,

在这个建筑物的顶部我们设置了 一个穹顶结构，

that protects ourselves,

这个结构因其巨大的重量

has a lot of mass in it.

能够保护我们。

Where are we going to get this material from?

我们从哪里能够获取到 这种材料呢？

我们真的要从地球上向月球 运输混凝土和水泥么？

Are we going to bring concrete and cement from Earth to the Moon?

Well, of course not, because it's way too heavy.

当然不能这么做， 因为这样的做法代价太大。

It's too expensive.

成本太高了。

So we're going to go and use local materials.

于是我们准备直接利用 月球上的材料。

Now, local materials are something we deal with on Earth as well.

而我们现在也采用与地球上 相同的方法处理这些材料。

Wherever we build or whatever country we build in,

不管我们建在哪里或者 我们建造什么，

we always look at, what are the local materials here?

我们经常在思考如何利用这些材料。

The problem with the Moon is, what are the local materials?

对于月球而言，真正的问题是 月球有哪些可以利用的建筑材料？

Well, there's not that many.

事实上，可用的材料不多。

Actually, we have one.

但仍有一种可以考虑。

It's moondust,

就是月尘，

or, fancier scientific name, regolith, Moon regolith.

或者用个更具科技感的名字， 即土壤，月壤。

Great thing is, it's everywhere, right?

这种材料最大的优势就是 随处可见，不是么？

The surface is covered with it.

月球的表面都是由 这种物质所覆盖的。

It's about 20 centimeters up to a few meters everywhere.

覆盖的厚度由20厘米到几米不等。

But how are we going to build with it?

但是我们要如何利用这些材料呢？

Well, we're going to use a 3D printer.

在这里我们需要用到3D打印机。

Whenever I ask any of you what a 3D printer is,

每次我问你们 3D打印机是什么的时候，

you're probably all thinking, well, probably something about this size

你们首先会想到的多半是它的体积，

and it would print things that are about this size.

以及它们可能也就 打印出这么小的东西。

So of course I'm not going to bring a massive 3D printer to the Moon

我当然不会真的把大体积的 3D打印机运到月球上来

打印我的月球基地。

to print my Moon base.

I'm going to use a much smaller device, something like this one here.

我会利用更小的仪器， 大概这么大。

So this is a small device, a small robot rover,

这是一个小仪器， 小型的探测车，

that has a little scoop,

有一个小的铲子，

and it brings the regolith to the dome

它会把月球的土壤 运到建造穹顶的位置，

and then it lays down a thin layer of regolith,

然后把一层薄薄的土壤堆在那儿，

接着其他机器会 把这些土壤固化，

and then you would have the robot that will solidify it,

layer by layer,

一层接一层，

until it creates, after a few months,

直到几个月后

the full base.

完成了整个基地的建造。

You might have noticed

你也许注意到

that it's quite a particular structure that we're printing,

我们专门设计出了一种结构，

and I've got a little example here.

我今天也带了一个小样本。

What we call this is a closed-cell foam structure.

我们把它称为闭口泡沫结构。

Looks quite natural.

看上去非常自然。

The reason why we're using this

我们在这个建筑中

as part of that shell structure

采用这种结构是因为

is that we only need to solidify certain parts,

我们只需要对建筑的 一部分结构进行强化，

which means we have to bring less binder from Earth,

这就意味着我们可以从 地球上少搬运点东西，

and it becomes much lighter.

而同时这个结构也更加轻巧。

Now --

现在——

that approach of designing something

这种设计思路

and then covering it with a protective dome

即从一种保护性的穹顶 覆盖整个建筑物，

we also did for our Mars project.

也同样被运用在了火星建造项目上。

You can see it here, three domes.

你们可以看到， 这里有三个穹顶建筑物。

And you see the printers printing these dome structures.

你们可以看到这些打印机也在 打印这些结构。

There's a big difference between Mars and the Moon,

但是月球的项目与火星的项目 有一个巨大的区别。

and let me explain it.

这个我得解释一下。

This diagram shows you to scale

这个图片显示了

the size of Earth and the Moon and the real distance,

月球相较于地球的大小， 以及月球与地球之间的距离，

about 400,000 kilometers.

大概有40万公里。

If we then go to Mars,

而如果我们要去火星，

the distance from Mars to Earth --

火星与地球的距离——

and this picture here

这个图片

is taken by the rover on Mars, Curiosity, looking back at Earth.

是由在火星上的机器人 以它的视角拍摄的地球图像。

You kind of see the little speckle there, that's Earth, 400 million kilometers away.

你们大概只能看到这么小小的一点， 那就是地球，4亿公里之外。

The problem with that distance

这么大的距离带来的问题在于

is that it's a thousand times the distance of the Earth to the Moon, pretty far away,

这是地球到月球距离的一千倍， 真的非常遥远，

but there's no direct radio contact with, for example, the Curiosity rover.

这就意味着我们不能与“好奇”号探测器 有直接的无线电联系。

So I cannot teleoperate it from Earth.

我就不能在地球上进行电子遥控。

I can't say, "Oh, Mars rover, go left,"

我不能这么下达命令 “嘿，火星探测器，左转。”

because that signal would take 20 minutes to get to Mars.

因为信号需要20分钟 才能传达到火星。

Then the rover might go left,

直到20分钟后，这个探测器 才能进行左转，

接着又要经过20分钟， 它的反馈信息才能传达到我这儿，

and then it will take another 20 minutes before it can tell me,

“好了，我已经完成左转了。”

"Oh yeah, I went left."

So the distance,

所以因为距离的问题，

so rovers and robots

这些探测仪与机器

and going to have to work autonomously.

将必须自主作业。

The only issue with it

其中唯一的问题在于

抵达火星这个任务风险很大。

is that missions to Mars are highly risky.

We've only seen it a few weeks ago.

我们也仅仅在几周前了解到这一点。

So what if half the mission doesn't arrive at Mars.

那么，如果一大半的 机器都不能达到火星，

What do we do?

我们该怎么办？

Well, instead of building just one or two rovers

实际上，与月球上 仅仅建造一到两个

like we did on the Moon,

探测器不同，

we're going to build hundreds of them.

我们将会建造很多，成千上百。

And it's a bit like a termite's mound, you know?

它们看上去就像蚁巢那样。

Termites, I would take half of the colony of the termites away,

白蚁，就算它们的巢穴中 有一半的成员都没了，

they would still be able to build the mound.

剩下的白蚁仍能够建造起蚁巢。

It might take a little bit longer.

只不过时间会长一点。

Same here.

同理，

If half of our rovers or robots don't arrive,

即使有一半的机器不能抵达火星，

well, it will take a bit longer, but you will still be able to do it.

火星基地仍可以搭建起来， 只不过时间要长一点。

So here we even have three different rovers.

于是我们设计了三种不同的机器。

In the back, you see the digger.

在后方，就那个最大的那种，

It's really good at digging regolith.

是专门用于挖土的。

Then we have the transporter,

然后，我们设计了搬运机，

great at taking regolith and bringing it to the structure.

专门用于将土壤转移到建筑基地处。

And the last ones, the little ones with the little legs,

最后一种，就是前面拥有 细小支撑的机器，

它们并不需要频繁的移动。

they don't need to move a lot.

只需要移动到一层又一层的土壤上，

What they do is they go and sit on a layer of regolith

and then microwave it together,

然后将土壤加热固化，

and layer by layer create that dome structure.

一层一层地建造起这种穹顶建筑。

Now --

那么——

we also want to try that out,

我们很想实践这种设计，

so we went out on a road trip,

于是我们外出进行试验，

and we created our own swarm of robots.

建造了一大群这样的机器。

There you go.

就是这个。

So we built 10 of those. It's a small swarm.

我们制造了10个这样的小家伙。

And we took six tons of sand,

我们拿这些机器去

and we tried out how these little robots

处理重达6吨的沙子，

would actually be able to move sand around,

看这些机器在地球上 是如何工作的，

Earth sand in this case.

如何搬运地球上的土壤。

And they were not teleoperated. Right?

当然，它们并不是由人工操控的。

Nobody was telling them go left, go right, or giving them a predescribed path.

没有人下达比如左转、右转等 指令或者预设路径。

No. They were given a task:

相反，它们仅仅被 给予了一个基本任务：

move sand from this area to that area.

即把沙子从这个区域 移到另外一个区域。

And if they came across an obstacle, like a rock,

如果它们在路上遇到了 比如岩石之类的障碍，

they had to sort it out themselves.

它们必须自行解决。

Or they came across another robot,

或者碰上了另外一个机器，

they had to be able to make decisions.

它们必须能够自己做决策。

Or even if half of them fell out, their batteries died,

或者更为极端的，如果它们中的 一半都死机或者没电了，

they still had to be able to finish that task.

它们也有完成这一项任务的能力。

Now, I've talked about redundancy.

那么到现在，我已经 介绍了不少背景知识了。

But that was not only with the robots.

但是这不仅仅局限于机器上。

It was also with the habitats.

还与栖息地有关。

On the Mars project, we decided to do three domes,

在火星上，我们决定采用 穹顶联排的三体结构，

because if one didn't arrive,

如果这三个建筑中有一个没能成功，

the other two could still form a base,

那么其他两个依然能形成一个基地，

and that was mainly because each of the domes

这是因为每一个建筑

actually have a life support system built in the floor,

都在地底建有独立的生存支持系统，

so they can work independently.

所以它们能够独立运转。

So in a way, you might think, well, this is pretty crazy.

总体看来，你们也许觉得 这个想法很疯狂。

Why would you, as an architect, get involved in space?

为什么你身为一名建造师 会参与到航空领域中来？

Because it's such a technical field.

因为它就是这样一个技术性的学科。

Well, I'm actually really convinced

我一直以来都确信

that from a creative view or a design view,

从一个创造性或者 设计性的角度而言，

you are able to solve really hard and really constrained problems.

每一个建筑师都能解决 非常复杂繁琐的问题。

And I really feel that there is a place for design and architecture

我确信在太空栖息地项目这一块，

in projects like interplanetary habitation.

设计与建筑仍能占据一席之地。

Thank you.

感谢大家。

(Applause)

（掌声）