A Lava-Tube Habitat on the Moon: Overburden Shielding, Pressurised Volume and Thermal Stability

This paper presents a computed design for habitat modules placed inside a lunar lava tube, where metres of rock overburden supply radiation and micrometeoroid protection and the subsurface temperature is nearly constant. The study is simulated, not measured. Using the stated assumptions in the Methods and the deposited calculation, the headline results are: areal = 2800, dose = 3.51e-53, tubevol = 122145, modvol = 1020. All quantities are derived in the accompanying script, which writes the full numerical record to results.json, including inputs, outputs and, where relevant, a parameter sweep. The design is assessed on its computed performance, its mass and power budgets where relevant, and its failure behaviour. Where the computed result is impractical, that outcome is stated plainly in the abstract's terms as well as in the Discussion: the numbers, not the intention, decide whether the principle is attractive at the stated scale. No measurement of a built system is reported, and no flight performance is claimed.