Bubble tent

A technologically complex but functionally minimal type of habitation module. The tent is a tetrahedron, with common sizes being 10, 30 and 90m sides. This is made of a laminate of silverskin-coated xylenel fabric, stretched over a rigid carbide frame. The frame can be easily collapsed, and various pulley-and-spring mechanisms sandwiched between layers of the fabric ensure that the structure folds neatly either under surface gravity or in free fall.

At each corner is a standard airlock, which can be used to enter the tent from vacuum, or to connect to other tents or habitation modules. On the surface, pulling on a rope at any corner provides the force to erect the structure. In space, the erection is driven by the pressurisation. On versiopns equipped with an integral atmosphere cylinder, all that is necessary is opening a valve.