Inspiration
Living on the Moon or Mars comes with serious engineering challenges. Even a small hole in a habitat could put astronauts at risk. I wanted to create something that lets people explore these problems and understand how engineering decisions affect survival.
What it does
BULKHEAD is an interactive 3D space habitat simulator where users can design, test, and improve lunar and Martian habitats.
It includes three scenarios:
- Lunar Breach: Manage pressure loss and evacuate astronauts.
- Martian Storm: Maintain power during a dust storm.
- Repair Under Pressure: Direct astronauts to repair a damaged habitat.
Users can modify their habitat, run simulations, and compare results to learn which decisions work best.
How I built it
I built BULKHEAD using JavaScript, Three.js, WebGL, HTML, CSS, and Vite.
I created separate simulation systems for pressure, astronaut movement, and power management. These connect to the 3D environment so changes in the habitat and user decisions affect the simulation.
Challenges I ran into
The biggest challenge was connecting realistic engineering calculations with an interactive 3D environment.
I also struggled with rendering performance, realistic environments, and making the interface easy to understand without overwhelming users with information.
Accomplishments that I'm proud of
I'm most proud of making the simulation interactive rather than scripted. Decisions like closing a hatch, adding an escape route, or installing batteries actually change the results.
I also built separate Moon and Mars environments with different engineering challenges.
What I learned
I learned a lot about Three.js, real-time graphics, numerical simulations, and managing interconnected systems.
I also learned how important engineering tradeoffs are. Sometimes solving one problem creates another.
What's next for Bulkhead
I want to expand BULKHEAD into a tool that automatically generates different habitat designs, tests them, and helps users identify promising configurations.
I also want to improve the educational features and eventually make it useful for early-stage engineering research, with more advanced and validated models.oud of
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