Selected from the archive for the Events collection — a quick, visual way into the topic before you go deeper.
NASA already has a plan to house astronauts on Mars. NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge asked engineers to design houses that could be built on Mars by robots using 3D printing technology. NASA recently announced winners of phase three of the competition and each house has a futuristic design. Each team was asked to consider using recycled plastic and "indigenous resources"—material found on Mars (like Martian rocks). The idea is to keep construction waste free and done by robots. This approach would also work on earth and NASA hopes this project can advance 3D printing technology in the construction sector. The team working on NASA’s Mars challenge say the project could become a reality some time around late 2030.