NASA has many plans to send crewed missions to the Red Planet. As a part of its ambitions, the space agency and its contractors are working on replicating the Martian surface on Earth. Icon 3D has announced that it has managed to 3D print the first simulated Mars Surface Habitat. The BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group was behind the design of the habitat.
Recently, Icon announced that it has been awarded a subcontract for the NASA Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) for developing a 3D-printed habitat. The habitat is called Mars Dune Alpha and was created at the Johnson Space Center.
Helping prepare for Mars missions
To build the habitat the Icon Vulcan construction system was used. It created a 1,700 square-foot structure where test experiments will take place. The design of the habitat simulates the actual Mars habitat that will support humans living on the surface of the planet in the future. CHAPEA will include a trio of year-long Mars surface mission simulations.
The aim of these missions is to gather insights and information to help the space agency assess its space food system and both health and performance outputs for upcoming missions. Research from Mars Dune Alpha simulations will allow NASA to develop risk and resource trades for supporting the health of the astronauts on the mission. NASA envisions a future where humans live on the Martian surface for long durations.
3D printing using Martian materials
Any Mars habitats could be 3D printed, likely using resources available on the Red Planet. It would be impossible to send building materials to Mars all the way from Earth, so astronauts will have to use materials available on the planet.
NASA is currently accepting applications for the first mission known as the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog. The Mars Dune Alpha module is located at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The module will feature four private crew quarters, medical stations, workstations, and food-growing areas.
“The habitat will simulate the challenges of a mission on Mars, including resource limitations, equipment failure, communication delays, and other environmental stressors,” NASA said
