Payload(Bay) X: A Modular Approach to Sustainable Lunar Operations

This paper explores the potential of the Payload(Bay) X concept to advance progress towards sustaining a permanent human presence on the Moon. With a focus on critical life support systems for air, water, and food, the research identifies the key challenges and requirements for long-duration lunar missions. Current approaches to integrating life support technologies within lunar habitats face limitations in terms of cost, safety, and operational flexibility. The Payload(Bay) X concept proposes a modular external platform that enables more efficient testing, development, and implementation of these systems separately from the primary living quarters. Through quantitative analysis, the paper demonstrates the technical and economic advantages of this approach, including reduced development costs, improved hardware reproducibility, and increased flexibility for in-situ resource utilization. Theresearch also outlines a roadmap for future work, including key next steps for further development and testing of the Payload(Bay) X concept. By addressing the challenges of sustainable resource management, this paper presents a promising pathway towards enabling long-term human presence on the lunar surface.