Housing Ideas Anyone? NASA Is Offering $ 2.8 Million If You Can 3D Print Homes On Mars
NASA is offering anyone who can build extraterrestrial housing for humans, particularly for colonizing Mars from space dust using 3D printing, $ 2.8 million.
"The space application addresses the issue of launch payload. Every pound of payload costs $10,000 to get to Earth orbit. Therefore, if we can use planetary dust as a material base, we open up a huge amount of opportunity for off-Earth shelter as well," the competition's website explains about the need for easy-to-setup housing.
The '3D-Printed Habitat Challenge' is divided into two phases. First phase involves submission of a concept for 3D printed housing. First level of second phase requires competitors to develop 3D printing fabrication technologies using indigenous material and recyclables. In the second level competitors will have to fabricate the housing concept using such material.
First leg of the competition runs through September 27. Top 30 submissions will be displayed at New York City Maker Faire where winners will be announced. The second phase begins September 28, NASA announced.
NASA's faith in 3D printing dates to its efforts to print spacecraft parts which were successfully tested last year. In September last year, designs for a wrench were sent to ISS, where it was 3D printed to become the first object to be printed in space.
The competition is part of NASA's Centennial Challenges and is being organized with National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute also known as America Makes.
