0. Operating Principles

Interchangeably

:: Discussion of the way all the pieces of Aurora have to fit together, interchangeably and redundantly. One type of screw; one type of bolt. Computer boards can be pulled from any device and put into any other. One type of battery, and adapters for devices that use different ones. Insofar as it's possible, USB-C on everything. Adapters for fuel lines, hoses, pipes. Compatible materials that won't degrade in contact with each other. Water pipes of the same diameter. Exclusively copper wires.

Adaptability

:: Use technologies that can be modified, recycled, repurposed, molded, printed; 3D printers, plastic recyclers, ways to make molds. Epoxies and cements; caulks. Things that allow you to do things you can't anticipate. Lots of spare parts, and raw materials.

Self-Sufficiency

:: All of Aurora's functions should be provided in-house; no mission-critical dependence on GPS, outside radio beacons, weather information, etc. Any activity where crew safety could be jeopardized by technology failure can't rely on anything whose origins are outside the station's control.

Redundancy

:: The station will have multiple layers of functionality, which trade off reliability with capability. More capable systems, systems that can do more, are most vulnerable to technological failure; conversely, very simple technologies that don't allow complicated activities can be very unlikely to fail. A computer allows for complex science; an oil lamp does not. The station's systems will communicate with each other, but be built in shells surrounding a central technological “core” (which represents critical life-support technologies), which uses the simplest and most reliable technologies possible for the task.

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The following is a scenario that demonstrates how the system's parts work together:

Fuel cell waste heat is the primary heat source for a specific laboratory module, which must be kept above freezing to ensure the viability of plant samples taken from the greenhouse. The fuel cell has a hydrogen feed problem, and shuts down. No one is in the lab at the time. The digital thermostat the fuel cell typically communicates with isn't receiving power anymore, so the lab begins to cool. As the temperature drops, a bimetallic thermostat activates an electric heater powered by one of the station's main generators. The lab is maintained at a slightly lower temperature, and the activation of the second thermostat sends an alert to the station's computer system.

Now, in a stroke of cosmic bad luck, a recent storm has damaged the cable supplying external power to the lab. The electric heater clicks off, and the temperature drops further.

When a critical temperature is hit, a third bimetallic thermostat connects a circuit; this circuit is powered by battery, and lights an incandescent indicator bulb on multiple status panels around the base. A parallel circuit also sounds a buzzer. An available crew member can hurry to the lab, manually activate a propane or diesel heater, and maintain the temperature until the higher-level, more complicated systems can be fixed.