Skip to main content

Wildly innovative ‘space igloo’ wins NASA’s 3D printed Martian habitat challenge

An igloo created with indigenous Martian ice was the winner of the 3D Printed Habitat Challenge, a competition sponsored jointly by NASA and America Makes. The finale for the first phase of the challenge was held this weekend in New York as part of the World Maker Faire.

Recommended Videos

Designed by Search Consortium and Clouds AO, the Mars Ice House is constructed to be technologically sound and also provide a pleasing environment in which to live. The structure is conceptualized as a series of vertical nested domes that are enclosed with ETFE membrane, a polymer that is highly resistant to corrosion. Water in the form of ice was chosen as the primary building material due to its predicted abundance on Mars and other potential extra-terrestrial outposts. Now that water has been discovered on Mars, these 3D printed ice houses take on greater significance and may play an important role in the first manned Mars mission.

The construction and 3D printing process was conceived with efficiency in mind. A lander will touch ground first, creating a crater that can be used without further excavation for igloo construction. Semi-autonomous robots and self-assembling devices will exit the lander and begin constructing the igloo before the astronaut team arrives. The 3D printing  process uses in-situ materials found on the planet’s surface, which allows the robots and the astronauts to travel without the need to bring heavy equipment and other materials along with them.

Inside the structure will be hollowed out “ice rooms” that provide a sensation of open space. Because they’re made from ice, light can pass through the semi-translucent walls, allowing astronauts to experience a natural diurnal cycle and enjoy a view of the Martian landscape. There also will be a hydroponic greenhouse for food and oxygen and an interstitial zone that functions as a front yard, allowing astronauts to stroll outside their living quarters with having to wear a bulky EVA suit.

Related: French firm offers NASA plan to build bubble homes on Mars

SEArch Consortium and Clouds AO received a $25,000 prize for their Mars Ice House winning idea, while second place finisher Gamma and third-place Lava Hive were awarded $15,000 and $10,000 respectively. These funds will be used towards the second phase of the competition, which challenges the groups to build a full-scale habitat.

This was originally a post on our brother site, Digital Trends.

Kelly Hodgkins
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Beginner’s guide to cigar shapes and sizes — and why they matter
Why your cigar choice says more about you than your watch (and how to pick the perfect one)
A collection of cigars

Walking into a cigar shop and facing what seems like a million options is enough to make anyone panic. Cigars stacked everywhere, each with a strange name, size, and a slightly different shape from the last one. If you haven't done this before, it's tempting to just grab something, anything, and run!But hold on a second. Those shapes actually matter. They aren't just there to look fancy or make things confusing. The size and shape change the whole experience of smoking that cigar – how it tastes, burns, and feels. It's kind of like how driving a tiny sports car is way different than driving a big truck. Both get you where you're going, but the experience along the way is not the same.

What are cigar vitolas?

Read more
The writer of one of Netflix’s biggest drama is taking on James Bond next
We still don't know who will star in this new installment.
James Bond at a casino

The news that Denis Villeneuve would be taking on the next James Bond film was certainly exciting for many, and as we continue to speculate about who might take over as 007, we're also learning more about who else will be working behind the scenes on the film.

We now know that Steven Knight, the writer behind Peaky Blinders, will be writing the next Bond movie. While Knight is best known for his work on TV, which includes Peaky Blinders and the recent Stephen Graham series A Thousand Blows, he's also the writer behind Spencer and Maria.

Read more
Every new Game of Thrones spinoff explained
George R.R. Martin's television world continues to grow
Matt Smith starring in House of the Dragon

When it first aired on HBO in the early 2010s, Game of Thrones dazzled audiences with revolutionary special effects and terrific acting in a unique fantasy world. Based on author George R.R. Martin's series of novels, the universe depicts the battles between several different noble families as they try to climb to the top of the continent of Westeros, both politically and figuratively. The war scenes, family drama, and massive number of characters helped make the story feel fresh and new every time a new episode aired.

As Martin's attention shifted to television and away from his books, fans have looked to the TV series to finish some of the stories he couldn't finish on the page. Game of Thrones left fans wanting more, despite its poorly received finale, and a plethora of spinoffs are on the way. House of the Dragon already has two seasons completed, and there are several others in the coming years to look forward to.
House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon finished its second season in 2024. The show chronicles the heated family dynamics of the Targaryen empire almost two centuries before the events of Game of Thrones. The third season should pick up the civil war between Queen Rhaenyra's forces and King Aegon's after a slow-building conflict throughout the second act.

Read more