Team Zopherus - Phase 3: Level 4 of NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge

Team Zopherus from Rogers, Arkansas, is the second-place winner of Phase 3: Level 4 of NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge. The team’s design includes using a moving printer that deploys rovers to retrieve local materials.
The competition for this stage challenged teams to use modeling software to create a full-scale habitat design. This level built upon an earlier stage that required 60 percent design completion; for this round, submissions were 100 percent complete.
Entries were scored on architectural layout, programming, efficient use of interior space, and the 3D-printing scalability and constructability of the habitat. Teams also prepared short videos providing insight into their design as well as miniature 3D-printed models that came apart to showcase the interior design. Points were also awarded for aesthetic representation and realism.
NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge aims to further the progression of sustainable shelters that will someday occupy the Moon, Mars or beyond by pushing citizen inventors to develop new technologies capable of additively manufacturing a habitat using indigenous resources with, or without, recyclable materials.

[FatLittleMonkey]

How is the lander/printer "sealed to the ground"? There doesn't seem to be an drilling of anchors or similar, what allows it to be pressurised enough to serve as an emergency shelter? Assuming (for illustration only) a 50 tonne lander mass and a 5m diameter, you would be limited to 0.1 atm pressure without additional anchoring.

[miamzd]

A great start! Well planned, good functionality and scale ability. A lot more needs to be added on and scaled up.

[ktmlcBGD]

Is it tested on Arctic for 6-8 months? If not, it should be, if it was, where is the video? Nice idea.

[christina]

I feel like this should have taken first place. I'm no scientist or engineer but I've heard Martian dust is an extreme pain, and of the top three habitats, this seems to be the only one to account for how to keep said dust out during construction...

[adamsmith]

What about the fact that the martini dirt is toxic? How will u be able use it to build parts of the interior if the regolith is toxic and would be exposed to humans?

[Electronic]

Very well thought out, however there is little room for error in these experiments. and must have redundancy in place.

[engageyourexplorationinscience]

The design of this hab is incredible. Its been really thought through. Love the idea of using the Martian soil to make concrete walls. It's really a great idea.

[SadHappyOogyBoogy]

I really like the individual quarters for the crew and the emergency suits in them, really well thought.
I don't really like the idea of centralized systems of electricity, oxygen and water as it poses great danger in a situation of malfunction.

Nice project overall!

[fyisic]

It would be awesome if you did a smaller and simpler version of these 3-d Printed projects as a proof of concept. And if the goal is to first go back to the moon, why not start there.

[Weltaz]

Remember that the cement will absorb oxygen from the habitat if exposed! (note: "biosphere 2" experiments).

[ShadowPuppet]

this is a nice space station when will it be built :) - CyberGod

[kaiusernameisbetter]

great in the shorter term this could be used on the moon

[officialasim]

How the heck did this not get first place. . . Its much better than xpis, this once seems simple and has a much better plan for protection against martian winds dust. it also explains how it will keep its dust compact unlike xpis.

[Lindenlc]

Initially, most of the human habitation will be below the Martian surface with only greenhouses above.

[ryandepalma]

They should make a pyramid shaped home as it seems like it would be very structurally sound against wind etc

[stefanfun]

Seriously, anybody else think of C&C?

[dromeiro]

Shading the habitat seems like a waste of energy.
Better cover it in solar panels, if you really don't want the sun to heat the habitat.

[walperstyle]

Robots are fine and everything but what you guys need is cheap labour. Tell you what; I used to work on drilling rigs in -52c for months straight. I'll work FOR FREE, so long as you supply air and food. I'll build whatever you need me to and have plenty of experience turning wrenches and building electrical systems. Let me know. ....no sense spending millions to train an astronaut to do the same thing when you have expendable people like myself.

[-lp]

#devonisland #fakemoonlanding #fakenasa #nasalies #cgi #fakemoonlanding

[rodney]

not fan of concept art. I do like thin layer plastic iner and outer layer have ribes go mars cement. only concern recycle plastic have brought earth add weight launch rocket. I heard bidradble plastic mad corn. biodegradable part might not work in this case but to bad seed green house or print green house grow plants to make plastic for outer and inner walls and ribes. then make use carbonized in air and ice water if find it. get plastic material from that. rubber mad tree rain forest think. rubber might be possible material to use too. came idea second time watched though maybe first house print be green grow things help make other houses.