NASA-affiliated space scientists plan to create long-lasting human occupational structures on Mars. Scientists are trying to find a way to move materials used in building Mars without much work and expense.
Mars occupation is a mission that most space enthusiasts look forward to being accomplished. However, scientists have figured out that moving materials used in building up Mars directly from the Earth can be very costly. So they came up with a weird plan that required the melting of moon surfaces to create materials needed for Mars occupation.
A 3D-printed melted regolith was the plan they came up with, as it is one of the materials easily available in outer space. When the lunar regolith melting temperature reaches, it can be turned into a paste and printed in 3D format. With Nasa already developing spacesuits that can withstand lunar temperatures, much is anticipated.
The Mars occupation project first starts by going to the moon. A four-person crew will enter a hangar at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in June as they experiment on what it feels like to be on the moon's surface.
This 3D-printed building will house the four-person crew that will go to the moon and create more materials for Mars. The building will have other sub-components such as space, dedicated areas for administering medical care, and crew living quarters. Icon Technology did the 3D printing of this building, and then its whole architecture and design were conducted by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group. The sole purpose of the mission that will happen in June is to experiment with how astronauts will survive, assuming they actually take the building structures to the moon.
The major experiments the space scientists will conduct when astronauts are in this building are to check the physical and behavioral health challenges they will face when they actually move to the moon.
The Moon spearheads the whole mission to Mars Planetary Autonomous Construction Technology (MMPACT) team. Their major aim is to ensure astronauts don't have to move planetary structures from the Earth to Mars. Instead, they will prefer to create this planetary structure from the moon and transfer it directly to Mars. When the experiment finishes on Earth, they will now move to the moon before the Mars occupation becomes a reality.
When Will Humans Move to Mars?
The MMPACT team's first off-planet project is tentatively scheduled for late 2027, and it will involve the use of robots to build structures that will reside on Mars.
The principal investigator Corky Clinton said missions to Mars would involve using semi-autonomous excavators and other machines to make the planet habitable. These machines will create roads, buildings, and other necessary facilities. MMPACT team lead Jennifer Edmunson said they would try to remove humans from every form of construction. Only robots and other machines will automate the process.
"I can’t rule out the use of humans to maintain and repair our full-scale equipment in the future," she added.
Many space scientists consider this new mission one of the biggest space missions. "Building humanity’s first home on another planet will be one of the most ambitious construction projects in human history and will push technology, engineering, science, and architecture to new heights," the CEO of ICON, Jason Ballard, said.