Adventures of an interplanetary architect | Xavier De Kestelier

譯者: Wilde Luo 審譯者: Helen Chang

I must have been about 12 years old

當我父親帶我參加一場 關於太空的展覽時，

when my dad took me to an exhibition on space,

我肯定有 12 歲了。

not far from here, in Brussels.

那展覽離這不遠，在布魯塞爾。

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

那一年應該是 1988 年，

so it was the end of the Cold War.

是冷戰結束的時候。

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

美國人和俄羅斯人都想和對方 在技術水平上爭個高低，

bringing bits to that exhibition.

先在那場展覽中小試牛刀。

NASA brought a big blow-up space shuttle,

美國國家航空暨太空總署（NASA） 展示一個大型充氣式的太空梭，

but the Russians, they brought a Mir space station.

而俄國人則展示了「米爾太空站」。

It was actually the training module,

它實際上是一個訓練艙，

and you could go inside and check it all out.

你可以進入體驗一番。

It was the real thing --

它可是真材實料：

where the buttons were, where the wires were,

那裏面有按鈕、纜線，

where the astronauts were eating, where they were working.

太空人在裏面飲食、工作。

And when I came home,

我一回到家，

the first thing I did, I started drawing spaceships.

就開始描繪太空船的樣子。

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

如今，它們不再是 科幻小說中的太空船了，

They were actually technical drawings.

它們實際上是工程圖紙。

They were cutaway sections

它們是一些剖面圖，

of what kind of structure would be made out of,

制訂了一種將被製造出來的結構體，

where the wires were, where the screws were.

以及如何佈置纜線、螺絲等。

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

因此，幸運的是， 我雖然沒成為太空工程師，

but I did become an architect.

但成了建築師。

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

這些是我在過去 15 年來

over the last decade and a half.

曾經參與的一些建築項目。

All these projects are quite different, quite different shapes,

這些建築的形態 都與一般樣式大相徑庭，

and it is because they are built for different environments.

因為它們是為不同的環境而建，

They have different constraints.

建造它們受到不同條件的限制。

And I think design becomes really interesting

我認為當條件限制非常嚴苛，

when you get really harsh constraints.

設計會成為一項妙趣橫生的工作。

Now, these projects have been all over the world.

目前，這些建築項目已遍佈世界各地。

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

幾年前，這張地圖並不盡如人意。

It was too small.

它太狹隘了。

We had to add this one,

我們得加上這個，

because we were going to do a project on the Moon

因為我們將要在月球上

為歐洲太空總署做一個項目，

for the European Space Agency;

they asked us to design a Moon habitat --

他們要求我們在月球上設計棲息地；

and one on Mars with NASA,

同樣的，與太空總署 在火星上也做一個，

a competition to look at a habitation on Mars.

這是一場在火星上 研究「棲息地」的競爭。

Whenever you go to another place,

作為一名建築師，

每當你到別的地方，

as an architect

and try to design something,

嘗試去設計什麽東西，

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

你會先研究當地原先的建築物。

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

當然這在月球上有點困難，

because there's only this.

因為眼前只有這些，

There's only the Apollo missions.

只有「阿波羅任務」。

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

上一次人類到達那裏時， 我還未出生，

and we only spent about three days there.

人類在那裏約只停留了三天。

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

所以這對於我而言 像是一次漫長的野營，

but a rather expensive one.

但是極其昂貴。

Now, the tricky thing,

棘手的事情在於

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

當你將在其他行星 或者衛星上建造設施時，

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

如何把東西送到那裏？

So first of all,

所以首先，

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

例如，要將一公斤物品送到月球表面

it will cost about 200,000 dollars,

差不多要花費 20 萬美元，

very expensive.

非常昂貴。

So you want to keep it very light.

所以，你要讓它非常輕。

Second, space. Space is limited. Right?

第二，佔用的空間。 太空船的容量有限。

This is the Ariane 5 rocket.

這是亞利安 5 號運載火箭。

The space you have there

它裡頭的空間大約

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

不到 4.5 公尺乘以 7 公尺。

So it needs to be an architectural system

所以，它應當是一個

that is both compact, or compactable, and light,

兼顧小巧與輕便的建築系統，

and I think I've got one right here.

我這裡有一個。

It's very compact,

非常小巧，

and it's very light.

也非常輕便。

And actually,

實際上，

this is one I made earlier.

這個是我之前準備的。

Now, there's one problem with it,

但是，它有一個缺陷，

that inflatables

這些充氣物

are quite fragile.

非常脆弱。

They need to be protected,

它們需要被保護，

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

具體來說，時當你進入 像月球那樣嚴峻的環境時，

Look at it like this.

像這樣思考：

The temperature difference on a Moon base

月球基地的溫差

could be anything up to 200 degrees.

可高達攝氏 200 度。

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

月球基地的一邊 可能達到攝氏 100 度，

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

而另一邊可能是攝氏零下 100 度。

We need to protect ourselves from that.

我們需要從中保護自己。

The Moon also does not have any magnetic fields,

月球也沒有任何磁場，

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

這意味着，任何輻射 ──太陽輻射、宇宙輻射──

will hit the surface.

都會衝擊它表面。

We need to protect ourselves from that as well,

我們也需保護自己不受輻射傷害，

protect the astronauts from that.

保護太空人。

And then third,

第三點，

but definitely not last,

但肯定不是最後一點，

the Moon does not have any atmosphere,

月球沒有大氣層，

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

意思是撞向月球的隕石 不會燃燒殆盡，

and they'll hit the surface.

而會直接撞擊表面。

That's why the Moon is full of craters.

這就是為什麽月球遍佈隕石坑。

Again, we need to protect the astronauts from that.

同理，我們也需保護自己 不被隕石擊中。

So what kind of structure do we need?

所以我們需要什麼樣的結構體？

Well, the best thing is really a cave,

最好的方案其實是一個洞穴，

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

因為洞穴由大量重物構成， 我們正好需要。

We need mass to protect ourselves from the temperatures,

我們需要重物來保護 我們免受巨大溫差、

from the radiation

輻射，以及隕石的傷害。

and from the meteorites.

So this is how we solved it.

這就是我們的解決方案。

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

你看得到的藍色部分

That's an inflatable for our Moon base.

是為月球基地佈置的充氣物。

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

它給予了很大的生活空間和實驗空間，

and attached to it you have a cylinder,

與它相連的是一個圓柱體，

and that has all the support structures in,

圓柱體裏面含有所有的支撐結構、

all the life support and also the airlock.

所有的生命維持設備和氣閘室。

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

在那之上，我們設計了

那個穹頂形的結構來保護我們，

that protects ourselves,

has a lot of mass in it.

它裏面包含許多重物。

Where are we going to get this material from?

我們如何獲得這些材料？

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

我們要把混凝土和水泥運往月球嗎？

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

當然不，因為那實在是太重，

It's too expensive.

且太昂貴。

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

我們要使用當地的材料。

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

和在地球一樣， 我們要處理當地的材料。

Wherever we build or whatever country we build in,

無論在哪裏、在哪個國家建造，

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

我們總會考慮：當地的材料是什麽？

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

那麽在月球上，當地的材料是什麽？

Well, there's not that many.

嗯，這裏沒多少材料。

Actually, we have one.

實際上，我們找到了一樣。

It's moondust,

它是月球的塵埃，

or, fancier scientific name, regolith, Moon regolith.

或者，更專業的說法， 風化層，月球的風化層。

Great thing is, it's everywhere, right?

大好消息是，它無處不在，對吧？

The surface is covered with it.

月球表面被它覆蓋。

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

從地下 20 公分 到地下幾公尺，到處都有。

But how are we going to build with it?

然而我們如何用它來建造呢？

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

嗯，我們會使用 3D 打印機。

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

每當我問你們 3D 打印機是什麽，

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

你也許會想，嗯， 這東西也許是這麽個大小，

and it would print things that are about this size.

它會打印出這麽個大小的物體。

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

所以我當然不會將一台 巨大的 3D 打印機運往月球

to print my Moon base.

來打印出月球基地。

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

我會使用小得多的設備，就像這個。

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

這是一台小型設備， 小型月球漫遊機器人，

that has a little scoop,

有一個小鏟斗，

and it brings the regolith to the dome

它將風化層運往穹頂，

and then it lays down a thin layer of regolith,

然後放置薄薄一層風化層，

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

然後你會讓機器人進行加固，

layer by layer,

一層又一層，

until it creates, after a few months,

直到在幾個月後，

the full base.

它們建造出完整的基地。

You might have noticed

也許你已經注意到了，

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

我們正在打印的是 一種很特殊的結構體，

and I've got a little example here.

我這裡有個小樣品。

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

我們稱它為「閉孔泡沫結構」。

Looks quite natural.

看起來很自然。

The reason why we're using this

我們用它作為那殻形結構的一部分，

as part of that shell structure

is that we only need to solidify certain parts,

原因是我們只需要固定某些部位，

which means we have to bring less binder from Earth,

這意味着我們減少了 來自地球的粘結材料的運輸，

and it becomes much lighter.

而它也會更輕。

Now --

現在──

that approach of designing something

這種方法，也就是設計出某種方案，

and then covering it with a protective dome

然後再為它覆蓋上保護性的穹頂，

we also did for our Mars project.

我們也應用到了火星項目中。

You can see it here, three domes.

可以看到，三個穹頂。

And you see the printers printing these dome structures.

也可以看到這些打印機 正在打印穹頂結構。

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

火星與月球有一個很大的區別，

and let me explain it.

聽我解釋。

This diagram shows you to scale

此圖按比例顯示

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

地球、月球的大小，

以及兩者之間的實際距離， 約 40 萬公里。

about 400,000 kilometers.

If we then go to Mars,

把目光轉到火星，

the distance from Mars to Earth --

火星與地球之間的距離── （四億一百萬公里）

and this picture here

這張圖片自火星回望地球，

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

是「好奇號」火星探測器拍攝的。

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

你依稀能看到一個小亮點， 那就是地球，有 4 億公里之遙。

The problem with that distance

這個距離帶來的問題是

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

它是地、月距離的一千倍，十分遙遠，

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

不能直接用無綫電聯絡， 例如，和「好奇號」探測器聯繫。

So I cannot teleoperate it from Earth.

所以我不能從地球遙控它。

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

我不能下令：「火星探測器向左轉」，

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

因為這個信號要花 20 分鐘到達火星。

Then the rover might go left,

然後探測器可能成功左轉，

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

但又要花 20 分鐘讓我得知：

"Oh yeah, I went left."

「好的，我左轉了。」

So the distance,

距離如此之遠，

so rovers and robots

所以探測器和機器人

and going to have to work autonomously.

需要自主地工作。

The only issue with it

這帶來的唯一問題是

is that missions to Mars are highly risky.

前往火星的機器面臨高風險。

We've only seen it a few weeks ago.

我們在幾個星期前才看到。

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

那麽，要是半數的機器 沒有到達火星怎麽辦？

What do we do?

我們要怎麽做？

Well, instead of building just one or two rovers

不是像月球那樣，

只建造一個或兩個就夠用了，

like we did on the Moon,

we're going to build hundreds of them.

我們得要建造幾百個探測器。

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

你知道嗎？這有點像白蟻丘。

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

白蟻，如果把一半的蟻群拿走，

they would still be able to build the mound.

它們仍然能建造出家園。

It might take a little bit longer.

可能要多花一點時間。

Same here.

同樣的道理，

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

如果半數的探測器 或者機器人沒有到達火星，

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

嗯，會多花些時間， 但是還是能完成任務。

So here we even have three different rovers.

我們甚至有三種不同的探測器。

In the back, you see the digger.

在遠方是挖掘的機器，

It's really good at digging regolith.

很擅長挖掘風化層。

Then we have the transporter,

我們也有運輸機器，

great at taking regolith and bringing it to the structure.

擅長接收並運送風化層至穹頂。

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

最後這些有腿的小機器不怎麽移動，

they don't need to move a lot.

它們就駐紮在風化層

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

and then microwave it together,

進行微波處理加固，

and layer by layer create that dome structure.

一層又一層，建造那種穹頂結構。

Now --

現在──

we also want to try that out,

我們也想要試驗一下，

so we went out on a road trip,

所以我們上路，

and we created our own swarm of robots.

造了自己的機器群。

There you go.

這就是了。

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

我們造了十個這樣的機器， 是一支小隊伍。

And we took six tons of sand,

我們取來 6 噸沙子，

and we tried out how these little robots

試驗觀察這些小機器

would actually be able to move sand around,

如何移動沙子，

Earth sand in this case.

這裡用的是地球的沙土。

And they were not teleoperated. Right?

它們並不是被遙控的。

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

沒人告訴它們左轉、右轉，

或者指明一條預定的路綫。

No. They were given a task:

沒操作指令。

它們被賦予一項任務：

move sand from this area to that area.

把沙子從這邊移到那邊去。

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

如果路上碰到障礙物，例如石頭，

they had to sort it out themselves.

它們得自行解決。

Or they came across another robot,

或者它們碰到另一機器，

they had to be able to make decisions.

它們要能夠做出判斷。

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

甚至半數的機器離隊、電池耗盡，

they still had to be able to finish that task.

它們仍要能夠完成任務。

Now, I've talked about redundancy.

我已經說明了備份。

But that was not only with the robots.

備份不止適用於機器人，

It was also with the habitats.

也適用於棲息地。

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

我們決定在火星項目裡建三個穹頂。

because if one didn't arrive,

因為若一個沒造成，

the other two could still form a base,

其他兩個仍然能形成基地，

and that was mainly because each of the domes

這主要是因為每一個穹頂

actually have a life support system built in the floor,

都在底層裝備了生命維持設備，

so they can work independently.

所以它們能夠獨立工作。

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

某種程度上你可能會認為這挺瘋狂。

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

為什麽身為建築師， 你參與太空領域呢？

Because it's such a technical field.

因為這是個「技術」的領域。

Well, I'm actually really convinced

我真的十分確信：

that from a creative view or a design view,

從一個創造性的角度 或者設計性的角度來看，

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

我們能夠解決限制條件繁多的難題。

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

我真心覺得在跨行星 棲息地這樣的項目中，

in projects like interplanetary habitation.

設計學和建築學會占有一席之地。

Thank you.

謝謝你。

(Applause)

（掌聲）