A team from Foster + Partners' California office, in collaboration with architectural fabricator Branch Technology, was awarded first place for the final level of the Structural Member Competition (Phase 2) portion of NASA's 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge—a competition for the development of a sustainable 3D-printed habitat on Mars—which began in 2015, and held the conclusion of its second phase Aug. 23-26 at the Caterpillar Edwards Demonstration & Learning Center in Edwards, Ill.
According to NASA, Phase 2 challenged teams to "manufacture structural components from indigenous materials combined with recyclables, or indigenous materials alone." This second phase was divided into three levels, each representing a unique structural challenge. The third level brief called for the production of "three beams, three cylinders, and a 1.5-meter (5-foot) dome out of indigenous Martian regolith and recyclable materials," notes the press release. Participating teams were asked to 3D-print their designs within 22 hours. The winning structure followed the competition's material guidelines, encompassed "geometric tolerance," and performed autonomously, said the same release.
The Foster + Partners team successfully developed a dome that could bear a maximum weight of approximately 3,735 pounds, that according to the firm, "was able to take double the load of a competing concrete dome in the stress test."
In 2015, the team came in second during the Design Competition (Phase 1) portion of the competition; they then went on to win first place in the first level, and third place in the second level of Phase 2, this year. According to NASA, the third portion of the challenge—dubbed the On-site Habitat Competition (Phase 3)—will focus on "fabrication and complete habitats," and is currently under development. Re-watch the challenge here and read more about the competition on NASA and Foster + Partners.
