Space cone and algae: how the MIIGAiK team created the station of the future

The workshop ‘Space Inspector: Orbit Check’, where the MIIGAiK team took the third place, was held within the framework of the II International Congress of Young Architects and Designers MKM ARCH 2025.

The large-scale event brought together more than 150 participants from 12 countries. The workshop, organized on the basis of MSTU-MASI, became a platform for dialogue between young specialists and space industry experts, where future projects in the field of architecture, urbanism and space technologies were born.

The team of the Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography (MIIGAiK) was among the winners with a project of an orbital station combining national identity, engineering solutions and biotechnology.

Yulia Bogolyubova, senior lecturer of MIIGAiK, and Robert Mirzoyan, 3rd year student of FAiG, spoke about the details of the work, inspiration and workshop lessons.

- Your project uses Cyanobacteriota algae to produce oxygen. Why did you choose them?

Julia: Blue-green algae are amazing organisms! Not only do they produce most of the Earth's oxygen, but they also efficiently absorb carbon dioxide.

Robert: And they're also being considered for colonising Mars! We thought: if they do well on Earth, why not use them in space? Plus, they can be used as fertiliser - an added bonus for closed systems.

- The geodesic dome and the ‘bump image’ - how do these elements relate to the functionality of the module?

Robert: The geodesic dome is about strength and even distribution of loads. And the ‘bump’ was born from the modularity of the design: triangular panels with solar panels reminded us of scales.

Julia: If an element gets damaged, it can be easily replaced. And the ‘scales’ can also open at different angles to capture sunlight more effectively.

- What was the most unexpected thing that happened while working?

Robert: The amount of information! It seemed like a simple task - entourage and functionality. But behind every step there are tonnes of technical nuances: from temperature differences to life support systems.

Julia: We even thought about foam ceramics for the cladding so that the laboratory compartment would not overheat.

- What do you think of the workshop format? What could be improved?

Yulia: It's an invaluable experience! Excitement, team spirit, communication with experts ...

Robert: But there were not enough sockets! (laughs). Seriously - there could have been more space for work.

- Would you like your project to be taken into real development?

Both of us: Of course!

Julia: The dream of any engineer is to see his idea realised. Especially in space.

- What advice do you have for future participants?

Robert: We were asked for advice, and we immediately thought, ‘We want to participate again!’ (laughs). But seriously - learn to multitask. And listen to the lectures - they are worth it.

- What skills you have learnt here will be useful in the future?

Julia: The ability to quickly switch between tasks and work under tight deadlines.

Robert: And team cohesion - you can't get anywhere without it.

- What was the most valuable experience during these days?

Robert: Vladimir Surdin's lecture! He showed how terrestrial architecture inspires space projects.

Julia: And also communication with ISS astronauts - it motivates more than any textbooks.

P.S. In the next posts - interviews with other workshop winners: MAI students from Malaysia and a team from the Kyrgyz Technical University. Let's find out how projects for life in orbit are created and why space is getting closer than it seems!

Stay tuned - there are more space stories to come!

The official website of MCM ARCH is https://icyarch.org/