Having measured night time temps outside I've concluded that for use during summer no heater is needed, and LED lights consume so little power I can run them from a small usb lithium battery pack for many days. So including a lead acid battery is unnecessary.
This frees up weight for additional living space, which I have concluded based on experience with the underwater habitats should be large enough for a running wheel. The existing design is not. I still want it to have multiple levels and be very three dimensional in layout but the central chamber will have to be some type of container I've not found yet which can accommodate the same type of running saucer as Hambase Alpha.
Warmth won't be an issue; The silical gel will keep down humidity, and as hamsters were originally desert dwellers, the warm, dry conditions inside during the day will be comfortable. At night, temps won't become uncomfortably low as established by repeat measuement, so ample bedding fluff ought to be sufficient.
This does mean the design will be somewhat simpler. But a skystation just doesn't need to be as sophisticated as an underwater hab. Cutting down on the gadgetry means I can make the station larger, which will be cooler and make for more spacious living conditions for the hamsternauts.
