SEArch+/Apis Cor - Phase 3: Level 4 of NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge

SEArch+/Apis Cor of New York won first place in Phase 3: Level 4 in NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge. This team focuses on regolith construction to provide radiation shielding and physical protection.
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.

[airmaildolphin]

"It's available in any color as long as that color is rust brown" - Alternate universe Henry Ford.

[Starbat]

Well, that is probably the prettiest design I've seen.

[pellebrannvall]

@ 0:33 it says "Hercules Single-Stage Reusable Vehicle" and then a second later it separates into 2 stages?

[jsimsons]

How are they going to print that over 50 days without getting it full of dust? By the end it has finished printing, the inside will be a sand castle.

[nightlightabcd]

These habitat concepts for other planets always make for good intertainment!

[brookestephen]

I like the circular rising access-way, avoiding elevators, that goes to every level. I want it slanted, not stepped, so heavy equipment can be pushed up, and robots can make their own way up and down quickly. This makes the habitat cylinder wider, to make it a gentle slope. You can move a lot more equipment into your habitat if it's on wheels, rather than you have to carry it!!! This cries out for similar construction methods that were used to build the pyramids... inside sloped access tunnel.

[nightlightabcd]

Does it also come with one "G" gravity to? Des it also have medical facilities to deal with the physical and mental effects of Mars forty percent gravity of earth?

[gary.richardson]

Great design! I gotta say there was a lot of good considerations made here and I enjoyed pausing at each frame to go over each description.

I would want to make sure it is understood that plant roots consume oxygen and efforts need to be made to optimize what they need in the right proportions at the right cycles.
Also, I suggest building a prototype inside a large glass vacuum dome in Utah or similar cold but dry winter spots to do live testing.
Likewise at the moon, build one there for additional live testing without the outer hollow core glass brick dome under vacuum but pressurized to match Mars and filled with similar radiation shielding (krypton gas?) Proportional to what will be experienced on Mars at different angles.

Only thing is who will put pipes and knobs or controls in these structures plus how will you move the 3d printers to the red planet?

[no_alias_for_me]

Why don't they use ladders instead of stairs inside these towers? They would increase usable area and since Martian gravity is only 1/3 of ours its way easier to climb them.

[syb]

I wonder one thing, how print solid stuff with all these dust everywhere ?

[christina]

The concept is great, but the way it's constructed would seem like it's exposed to a lot of martian dust...

[willymakeit]

I don’t mean to just sit around throwing rocks at those who are making things happen, but that rover pictured parked outside is going to need a pressurized garage where it can be maintained and repaired.

[nigelmay]

That design is an absolute masterpiece,

[drblitzzz]

I don't think SEArch+/Apis Cor spent nearly much time as their competitors (at least team Zopherus) on refining what kind of construction equipment they're proposing to use. A scissor lift is completely the wrong choice to build this structure (A work platform that can't get close to the structure? really?) I'd think some combination of a telescopic manlift and/or a telebelt would would work much well - with a dexterous printer head on the end of course. Having the ability to get astronauts makes future maintenance of concrete much easier.
Let's get a CAT-Putzmeister joint team working on this :)

[patroklos]

I dont get it.. why dont we search for a mega cave to begin with..? with all that water existing in this planet maybe thousands of years ago there should be many caves under the surface. Put a door and fill it with air and heat... then you get a starting point to create anything on place...

[Teraloth]

Can i have this design built as a house here on earth?

[tamie]

Yeah this one is perfect mix of practicality and sci-fi dopeness! Also way bigger than the other two finalists and they also won the foundation n leak challenges so you know they have their materials n printing tech down. Give this team a contract Elon! They'll dedicate a whole mars marijuana greenhouse in your honor

[richardkennedy]

Why wouldn't you use some of the natural landscape for shelter, there are hills, mountains etc . I would think also that much could be learned from shelter on the moon base first, it seems more logical that any type of living /working arrangement should be on one level, maybe take a hint from the Arctic /Antarctic settlements before we start building skyscrapers, maybe dreaming Logically might help 🍀

[kevin]

First of all, you can't just trow a garden on your wall.. it needs the right quantity of co2, and nutrition, if you want to be efficient and optimal.. is better to use a closed environnement... second things, how do you make 3d printed concrete with no water