NASA Centennial Challenge: Three Dimensional (3D) Printed Habitat, Phase 2
- Paper number
IAC-17,E5,1,10,x41801
- Author
Mr. Robert Mueller, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States
- Year
2017
- Abstract
Robert P. Mueller 1, Monsi C. Roman 2, Hong Soo Kim 3 1 Swamp Works, Exploration & Research Technologies, Kennedy Space Center, National Aeronautics & Research Administration (NASA), Mail Stop UB-R1, KSC, FL 32899; email: rob.mueller@nasa.gov 2 Centennial Challenges Program Office, FP-10, Marshall Space Flight Center, National Aeronautics & Research Administration (NASA); monsi.roman@nasa.gov 3 Centennial Challenges Program Office, ZP-30, Marshall Space Flight Center, National Aeronautics & Research Administration (NASA); email: tony.kim@nasa.gov ABSTRACT The NASA Centennial Challenges: 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge seeks to develop the fundamental technologies necessary to manufacture an off-world habitat using mission recycled materials and/or local indigenous materials. The vision is that autonomous habitat manufacturing machines will someday be deployed to the Moon or Mars to construct shelters for human habitation. NASA and Bradley University, are holding a new US$ 2.5 million competition to design and build a 3-D printed habitat for deep space exploration, including the agency’s journey to Mars. The multi-phase 3-D Printed Habitat Challenge, part of NASA's Centennial Challenges program, is designed to advance the additive construction technology needed to create sustainable housing solutions for Earth and beyond. The first phase of the competition ran through Sept. 27, 2015. The second phase of the competition is called the Structural Member Competition and it is divided into three levels happening in the spring and summer of 2017. The Compression Test Competition (Level 1) focuses on the fabrication technologies needed to manufacture structural components from a combination of indigenous materials and recyclables, or indigenous materials alone. For Level 1, teams will develop 3D printable materials, build a 3D printing machine, and print two specimens: a truncated cone and a cylinder. The Level 2 Beam Member Competition is the second of three sub-competitions within the overall Structural Member Competition. For Level 2, teams will print a beam that will be tested. The Level 3 Head to Head Competition is the third of three sub-competitions within the overall Structural Member Competition. For Level 3, teams will develop 3D printable materials, use a 3D printing machine, and print three compression specimens of the elected material, three flexural specimens of the elected material, and one dome structure. Tests conducted on the specimens and the dome structure will determine Level 3 scores and awards. This paper will summarize the Level 2 results of this NASA Centennial Challenge competition and it will discuss related technology advancement
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
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