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NASA Announces the 3D Printed Habitat Challenge For Moon and Mars Bases

Posted by samzenpus on from the print-for-cash dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Space policy experts are still arguing where American astronauts should go once they venture into deep space. However, there is widespread agreement that once they get there they should be prepared to stay for longer than just a few hours or days, as was the case during the Apollo missions to the moon. Taking all the material to set up habitats, the astronauts' homes away from home, would tend to be expensive. Toward the end of lowering the cost of long duration space travel, NASA has announced the 3D Printed Habitat Challenge, in partnership with America Makes, as part of the ongoing Centennial Challenge program.

5 of 46 comments (clear)

  1. Re:The bases have to be built from local material by fustakrakich · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Wait, scratch that. The majority of the dwellings will need to be underground to avoid the radiation. Instead of a 3D printer, take a tunnel boring machine.

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  2. Re:The bases have to be built from local material by rmdingler · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Bonus round: concrete is used here on earth for radiation shielding.

    Calcium (a cement precursor) is present on the moon, and IIRC, one of the Mars Rover's missions was to locate calcium on the Red Planet.

    Once shelter can be established, subsurface mining will uncover other useful raw materials.

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  3. Materials? by ArcadeMan · · Score: 3, Insightful

    3D printing habitats on Mars and on the moon... okay, I'm guessing something similar to what's currently being done with concrete, but what about the materials? How are people supposed to make "Mars/moon concrete" for their tests? Also, printing with a different gravity will change a lot of parameters and how the layers interact with each other, curing speed with air vs in a vacuum, solar rays on earth vs Mars/moon, etc.

    There's way too many variables that are completely different for such a challenge to represent what will actually happen.

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  4. Re:The bases have to be built from local material by itzly · · Score: 4, Funny

    Obviously, the first step will be to 3D print an IKEA store on Mars.

  5. Re:The bases have to be built from local material by taiwanjohn · · Score: 3, Informative

    You might find this of interest: "Concrete on Mars - Brandon Larson - 15th Annual International Mars Society Convention"

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