Hang time has always been a problem on the moon. The Apollo program landed a dozen men there from 1969 to 1972, but they spent a total of only three days and six hours actually walking the surface. That's because they couldn't stray from their lunar lander and its life support. To help future moon men and moon women extend their stays and their range, and to make the most of their time exploring, aerospace engineers at MIT have now designed lightweight, packable, inflatable habitats.

The mobile overnight habitat, designed to fit aboard a no-frills lunar rover, is made up of an inflatable pod that sleeps two; a reflective shield to prevent the sun's rays from roasting explorers; life support systems on the rover that will supply oxygen, water and food, maintain the habitat's temperature, scrub out carbon dioxide, and remove excess humidity; and a flexible roll-out solar array to supply the shelter's power and recharge the rover's batteries.