Sony Bravia professional displays have been installed as part of a 28-square metre lunar habitat, aimed at simulating life on the surface of the moon.
Built by space architect specialists, Saga, the FlexHab lunar habitat will simulate life on the lunar surface for astronauts training to perform scientific research, using Sony Bravia displays to replicate the moon’s exterior environment. This space training habitat combines both interior and exterior environments for training purposes.
The European Space Agency’s FlexHab is located inside a dedicated facility at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, housing up to four astronauts on training missions which can last from week up to month-long expeditions, requiring a space that is both liveable and usable for scientific purposes.
The multifunctional space includes communal areas, bedrooms, workout equipment, and a laboratory.
65-in Sony Bravia displays are integrated to replicate a large artificial window, creating a ‘viewing dome’ that makes up one wall to immerse inhabitants during training.
The displays are designed to prepare inhabitants to deal with any eventuality when residing in space, including the possibility of outer-space catastrophes, with the displays simulating scenarios such as large debris colliding with the window, causing a catastrophic crack or pressure leak.
Interactivity also plays a key role in the training, with the displays enabling astronauts to simulate external experiments from inside FlexHab using specialist tools for real-time visual guidance when used with the displays.