NASA Announces $ 100,000 Winners of 3D Virtual Printed Habitats in Mars

NASA has selected three teams to share a $ 100,000 prize from a competition to create virtual Martian habitats.

The 11 participating groups were tasked with creating a large scale habitat using modeling software, building on a previous stage of the competition this required partial virtual modeling.

The teams were ranked according to their layout, programming, use of the interior space and the capacity of their habitat to be enlarged to full size for construction, according to a statement from NASA by announcing the winners. The groups also received points for their aesthetic representation and realism.

Related: The first colony of Mars could be printed in 3D from red planet dust

Here's what the three winners submitted (as well as videos on each):

SEArch + / Apis Cor – New York City – Awarded $ 33,954.11: This model would use the top of a reusable vehicle at a Hercules stage for a habitat, the rest of the module being printed in 3D and built on the site by rovers. The design included an inward-facing arch, which is useful for keeping the air pressure on Mars because there is more pressure inside the arc ( where astronauts live and work) than on the outside. Employees say that their design will withstand the forces of atmospheric pressure in the same way that a dam retains the force of water. The habitat includes three independent areas that can be isolated in case of emergency. The crew can also quickly evacuate one of the three levels of the structure by taking an outside staircase. In the interior of the house are two laboratories, four bedrooms, a greenhouse, a relaxation area and areas for rovers and outings in the space, among others.

Team Zopherus – Rogers, Arkansas – Won $ 33,422.01: This is a design inspired by biology, with various modules for crew accommodation. A landing module would become the basic habitat by falling to the ground and forming a seal, which would allow a pressurized environment for printing. From there, the rovers would pick up Martian Regolith (soil) and bring it back to the habitat to create an aggregate cement composed of Martian carbonates and water. This mixture would be combined with highly recyclable thermal plastic to create habitat walls. Since the concrete can fracture during Martian temperature variations, the outer surface is equipped with a shading system (oriented towards the sun) that protects the parts of the hull from the heat of the sun, thus reducing the incidence of cracks. The habitat includes a common unit with a combination airlock, hydroponic gardens, four crew bedrooms, a lab module and mobile hatches, and can be expanded as needed to meet the needs of the research and the crew.

Mars Incubator – New Haven, Connecticut – Awarded $ 32,623.88: This multi-modular form would be built from the ground up. The external supports of the modules are made from plastic regolith and polyethylene laced with basalt fiber. The whole structure is radiation resistant. The modules include a vestibule for costume and rover deployment, a multipurpose module, a bio-generation module for plant growth and a main module including laboratory space, food preparation area and accommodation for crews. . Each module is connected to bridges that allow team members to move from one place to another without leaving.

The final phase of the contest will take place from May 1 to 4, 2019, when participating teams will present their structural footprint (smaller than reality, but on a scale) and will compete for a prize of $ 800,000.

The overall goal of the 3D Printed Habitat Challenge is to create shelters that can be used on the Moon, on Mars or elsewhere, using local resources available on these sites. NASA officials said in a statement that the proposed solutions could also be used on Earth, reducing construction costs (among other benefits).

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