“When designing skyscrapers on Earth we have to think about the impact of earthquakes, hurricanes, wind and gravity, but when designing a habitat on Mars they are not driving factors for design. Instead, it’s all about the huge temperature differences between night and day, which threaten to shrink or expand the building fabric, and the internal air pressure, which is greater than the thin atmosphere and threatens to expand the envelope. The physics is the same on other planets, but it plays out very differently.” - Jeffrey Montes, Space architect, AI’s SpaceFactory
TEMPORARY VS. PERMANENT HABITATION
Long term permanent habitats require much more volume (i.e. greenhouse) and thick shielding to minimize the annual dose of radiation received. This type of habitat is too large and heavy to be sent to Mars, and must be constructed making use of some local resource. Possibilities include covering structures with ice or soil, excavating subterranean spaces or sealing the ends of an existing lava tube. (A short term stay on the surface of Mars does not require a habitat to have a large volume or complete shielding from radiation)
A larger settlement may be able to have a larger medical staff, increasing the ability to deal with health issues and emergencies. Whereas a small expedition of 4–6 may be able to have 1 medical doctor.
The effect of radiation on stored pharmaceuticals and medical technology would have to be taken into account also.
It has been estimated that sixteen feet (5 meters) of Mars regolith stops the same amount of radiation as Earth's atmosphere.
PRESSURISING HABITATS
One unique structural force that Mars habitats must contend with if pressurized to Earth's atmosphere, is the force of air on the inside walls.This has been estimated at over 2,000 pounds per square foot / 95.76 kilopascals (kPa) / 9764.855 kilograms per square meter for a pressurized habitat on the surface of Mars, which is radically increased compared to Earth structures. A closer comparison can be made to crewed high-altitude aircraft, which must withstand forces of 1,100 to 1,400 pounds per square foot when at altitude.
EXISTING HABITATS
ICE HABITAT
3D-printed double ice shell surrounding a lander module core. 20cm thick ice wall. radiation shielding, galactic rays, natural light. A transparent ETFE membrane keeps the 3d printed shells from sublimating into the Martian atmosphere. The Mars Ice House project taps into this vast supply of water ice to propose an autonomously 3d printed habitat for four explorers. Previous projects were inflated domes covered by a layer of regolith, which yields dark and claustrophobic habitats with potentially disastrous consequences for crew motivation and mental health. Mars Ice House redefines this typology by innovating a translucent fin shaped double shell structure contained within a transparent ETFE film. The form is driven by a humanist approach with crew comfort and well-being as key design factors. The double shell provides buffer to minimize contamination of Mars. ECLSS systems vent into the interior volume, and the ETFE membrane seals the habitat from Martian elements.
The 'yard' is an unprogrammed space between the inner habitat and outer shell. This area is not for any specific function (ie. sleeping, eating, working) but an undefined open space for contemplation, relaxation, exercise, game play or anything the crew decides to do. While not fully conditioned, this space is pressurized and can be inhabited with a simple oxygen mask. It also serves as a buffer space, absorbing leaks from the habitat environmental control and life support systems to minimize forward contamination of the Martian wilderness. (no EVA suit needed)
A double ice shell housing programmatic spaces within its layers is 3d printed around a lander habitat. A vertical greenhouse between the habitat and shell forms the crew’s yard.
Why ice? Water ice is an effective radiation shield, diminishing both ultra-violet solar and galactic gamma rays to safe levels with only a 5cm thick shell. Ice is translucent allowing natural daylight to stream into the dwelling connecting inhabitants to circadian cycles necessary for maintaining healthy bio-rhythms. The translucency gradient of the ice shells can be modulated to achieve transparent windows allowing for views of the Martian landscape beyond, which has been proven to improve crew morale and psychological well being. Water ice is abundant in the northern latitudes and easily extracted as it's covered by only 30cm of loose regolith.
LAVA HIVE
construction technique called ‘lava-casting’.
Main habitation unit, airlock module, maintenance workshop, docking port, laboratory and greenhouse.
The main habitation unit is comprised of an inflatable structure that is covered by the back shell of the entry capsule (used for space travel) and a sintered apron of Martian soil at its base. An airlock module, housing suitports for the ingress and egress of four crew members separates the main habitation module with a series of smaller domes where the working areas are located. The maintenance workshop and docking port, have the potential to connect to mobile, pressurized elements such as a rover. The laboratory module is fitted with a viewing cupola and houses sample exchange airlocks to analyse matter taken from the surface expeditions. The greenhouse module is foreseen to supply sufficient food for the crew and is located at the rear end of the connecting tunnel. For safety reasons all essential functions are accommodated in the habitation section.
A linear configuration of modules was decided to be the safest, most effective, and most flexible option when considering this larger scale structure.
MARSAPIA
The most ubiquitous and accessible material on Mars is the high (6-14%) iron content silica sand (kremeň) which covers the vast majority of the planet’s surface. Once the iron and silica have been separated from the soil matrix, using thermal and magnetic processes, these materials will be moved to hoppers and become the media for induction extrusion /plasma arc sintering heads, positioned by multi-axis CNC hydraulic/servo-driven arms. These robot controlled print-heads will produce first permanent structures on Mars.
The monolithic composite shell will be composed of a sintered ferrous latticework (spekané železné mriežky) on the internal and external surfaces of the structure and a vitrified then devitrified silica core, effectively granite. The lattice and core will provide tensile and comprehensive properties approximating yet surpassing the structural efficiency of ferro-cement or reinforced concrete due to an algorithmiclly regulated deposition of material possible only by through 3d printing. This variable rate of deposition will allow the section modulus of the sintered medium to respond to the specific structural requirements of the form.
Also, because of the reductive atmosphere of Mars, the ferrous elements utilized will not undergo the destructive expansion due to oxidation that undermines reinforced concrete structures on earth. The resulting steel and silica forms will serve as bunkers, protecting the Martian inhabitants against solar radiation, small bolide impact, strong prevailing winds, and related sand storms. They will also provide structural reinforcement, insulation, and protection for a nested system of prefabricated graphite/resin inflatable containment units which will provide beta radiation protection, and contain the inhabitable atmosphere.
SOURCE
https://3dpchallenge.tumblr.com/post/128779132113/team-mars-terrain-intelligence-collaborative
MOLLUSCA L5
Our concept proposes a design and methodology for a Mars shell/membrane system to create a protected space for inflated habitation modules and outdoor areas while utilizing 100% indigenous materials as the 3D printing substrate. The vaulted structure is adaptable to a range of geographical conditions and habitat sizes through an open-platform 3D printed modular construction and fabrication system. The approach is modularized into separate upgradable stages: Material Prep, Fabrication, and Assembly, converting regolith into high strength glass panels. The interior layer is composed of inflatable units (provisioned from Earth) and configured for redundancy and utility. The exterior layer of locally sourced and fabricated modular glass units allow for a generative designed shell structure, providing the inhabitant with protection from severe weather, high radiation, small impacts, and extreme temperatures. The “front yard” typology allows the inhabitants to further engage with the Martian environment under the protective shell. This approach facilitates future growth of the habitation camp, as the exterior shell can be extended, adjusted, and repaired thanks to its unitized nature.
SFERO HOUSE
SFERO HOUSE by Fabulous also a contender in the 3D Mars Habitat program, featured levels above and below ground level. It has a double walled spherical design filled with water to both keep the higher-pressure of Mars habitat in, but help protect against radiation. Conceptual drawings show plants being grown indoors, with workstations upstairs and suspended sleeping areas downstairs. The spherical shape has been designed to offer high resistance to Mars' low atmospheric density. The design aims to use the red planet's abundance of iron oxide – discovered in dust samples and rocks brought back by NASA's Pathfinder rovers – which would form the raw material for 3D printing. The powdered iron particles would then be fused together by laser, and the levels of the habitat printed layer by layer.
The arms would also seek out permafrost – soil that has been at or below freezing for at least two years – to be melted and used as a 30-centimetre-wide water pocket in between the two shells to protect against solar radiation.
The structure's exterior walls would be made of two shells sandwiching water melted from permafrost, which would serve as a radiation barrier. The team recommends building the structure in the crater Gale, which is known to contain large deposits of iron.
Construction of the habitat would be begin with a long pole that would drill into the ground and from which two robotic arms would extend. One arm would suck up and sort material from the surface, while the other one would use the material to construct a dome overhead.
MARS ICE HOME
Responding to the problem of galactic cosmic radiation being the most significant issue for human health on long duration Mars surface missions, the concept incorporates in situ resource utilization derived water-ice for radiation shielding and as a structural component.
The study proposes design and engineering solutions for: The Inflatable Structure Element, the Deployment Systems Element, and the Access and Delivery Element of the overall habitat. The water-ice fills and freezes within cellular pockets of the precision-manufactured inflatable membrane. The interior of the habitat will be insulated from the ice with a cellular layer of carbon dioxide, which can easily be extracted from the Martian atmosphere.
Long term stays on the Martian surface require habitats with reduced launch mass while providing an effective working environment with a high level of shielding from galactic cosmic rays for mission crew members. Translucent ice is the key design element in this circumstance: it allows natural light to permeate the habitat interior, keeping occupants connected to diurnal cycles, and ensuring the well-being of crew members.
Additional design considerations include a large amount of flexible workspace so that crews would have a place to service robotic equipment indoors without the need to wear a pressure suit. To manage temperatures inside the Ice Home, a layer of carbon dioxide gas would be used as in insulation between the living space and the thick shielding layer of ice.
MARS X-HOUSE V1
Mars X-House seeks to exceed current radiation standards while safely connecting the crew to natural light and views to the Martian landscape.
Partnering with Apis Cor, X-House presents a pioneering habitat scaled to fit within the 4.5m x 4.5m footprint of the Level 3 Head-to-Head event of the Phase 3 competition at 1/3 scale. By vitally connecting the human residents with views to the Martian landscape, the habitat synthesizes key design factors fundamental to future Martian habitation: program and construction efficiency, light, and radiation protection—creating a highly functional and protective habitat for its occupants.
these homes were inspired by Nordic architecture. They feature “light scoops” that channel refracted light in from the north, while providing protection from direct glare from the sun.
Light is transmitted through transparent, CO2-inflated window pockets and greenhouses, and viewing apertures will give residents a glimpse of the world outside. Inside, are two pressurised habitation areas for humans to live in, encased by “regolith shells” made from loose matter on top of the bedrock of Mars. Inside, there will be common rooms, greenhouses, labs, medical stations, communications rooms, wet spaces, hygiene units, kitchens and sleep ports.
MARS X-HOUSE V2
House that takes the form of a tower with an external spiral staircase and little hexagonal windows. The unique shape of the “hyperboloid” tower allows for complete reinforcement from the top to the bottom. Inside will be vertical gardens that reuse grey water, showers and toilets, workspaces under the windows, cooking zones and bedrooms. It will be suitable for a crew of four to live and work in on Mars for the duration of one Earth year.
MARSHA
Marsha envisions a series of vertical egg-shaped pods, each with a hard protective outer casing, able to contain the internal atmospheric pressure, and a disengaged inner shell filled with mission-focused rooms and living spaces.
MARSHA is a first principles rethinking of what a Martian habitat could be – not another low-lying dome or confined, half-buried structure but a bright, multi-level, corridor-free home that stands upright on the surface of Mars. Where structures on Earth are designed primarily for gravity and wind, Martian conditions require a structure optimized to handle internal atmospheric pressure and thermal stresses. Marsha's unique vertically oriented, egg-like shape maintains a small footprint, minimizing mechanical stresses at the base and top which increase with diameter. Standing tall on the surface grants the human crew a superior vantage point to observe a dynamic landscape with weather patterns, clouds, and shifting hues – their new home and object of study both. The tall, narrow structure reduces the need for a construction machine to continuously rove on the surface, reducing risk and increasing speed and accuracy.
MARSHA employs a unique dual-shell scheme to isolate the habitable spaces from the structural stresses brought on by Mars’s extreme temperature swings. This separation makes the interior environment unbeholden to the conservativism required of the outer shell, which retains its simple and effective form. As a result, the interior is free to be designed in the sense we take for granted on Earth – around human needs.
Each level has at least 1 window, which, together, cover the full 360 degree panorama. Indirect natural light from the large water-filled skylight and intermittent windows floods the interior while still keeping the crew safe from harmful solar and cosmic radiation. Circadian lighting, designed to recreate Earthly light, is employed to maximize crew health.
INNOVATIVE CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
OUR FORMULA FOR 3D-PRINTING ON MARS
In collaboration with Techmer PM, we've formulated an innovative mixture of basalt fiber extracted from Martian rock and renewable bioplastic (polylactic acid, or PLA) processed from plants grown on Mars. This recyclable polymer composite outperformed concrete in NASA’s strength, durability, and crush testing. ASTM lab tested and certified to be two to three times stronger than concrete in compression, our space-grade material is also five times more durable than concrete in freeze-thaw conditions.
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