NASA’s Mars Million Dollar Challenge: Make Oxygen & 3D Printed Habitats


Susanne.Posel-Headline.News.Official- mars.nasa.3d.printing.habitats_occupycorporatismSusanne Posel ,Chief Editor Occupy Corporatism | The US Independent
May 17, 2015

 

Terra-forming a planet can be a tricky thing and NASA is fully aware of this quandary. Considering possible options, NASA has begun wondering how it could produce breathable oxygen on Mars.

Scenarios using bacteria or algae from Earth has been tossed about the proverbial table and funding for this endeavor has been funneled to a corporation called Techshot, Inc .

With the assistance of Eugene Boland, chief scientist at Techshot, eco-system engineering testing “pioneering organisms” to create “oxygen factories” are in full swing.

By using these methods of creating oxygen, NASA hopes to transform Mars’ atmosphere into one that can sustain human and other carbon-based live forms for the “long-term”.

Boland explained: “This is a possible way to support a human mission to Mars, producing oxygen without having to send heavy gas canisters. Let’s send microbes and let them do the heavy lifting for us.”

According to NASA’s 2015 Technology Roadmap draft, inspiration for the resurgence of America’s space program and increased exploration and scientific discovery are at the forefront of the agency’s mission for the future.

Within the Strategic Technology Investment Plan (STIP), NASA has laid out an “actionable plan” that details a “strategy for developing technologies essential to the pursuit of NASA’s mission and achievement of National goals. The STIP prioritizes the technology candidates within the roadmaps and provides guiding principles for technology investment. The recommendations provided by the National Research Council heavily influence NASA’s technology prioritization.”

Beyond Terra-forming Mars, another challenge for the Red Planet is habitats fitting for humans and other earthlings.

In 2014, NASA partnered with Made In Space and created the first 3D printer to print real objects at the International Space Station.

In the spirit of innovation, NASA teamed up with America Makes to announce a new challenge: Design, build and create the world’s first 3D printed habitat to be used on Mars.

The goal is to use large 3D printed habitable buildings and structures in the most cost effective way imaginable.

The NASA challenge hopes to create a “state-of-the-art architectural concept that takes advantage of the unique capabilities 3-D printing offers” and will reward those innovators with $50,000, according to Sam Ortega, program manager for Centennial Challenges.

Ortega said: “The future possibilities for 3D printing are inspiring, and the technology is extremely important to deep space exploration. This challenge definitely raises the bar from what we are currently capable of, and we are excited to see what the maker community does with it.”

Beyond this initial stage, phase II will consist of a “structural member competition” as well as an “on-site habitat competition” that will use 3D printing to “fabricate habitats … using indigenous materials [from Mars] and recyclables which will drastically reduce payloads.”

By September 26th, NASA plans to pay out a $1.1 million prize for an actual full-scale habitat prototype that can be utilized on the Martian surface.





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