![]() ![]() Twice in 2018, a rocket launched from NASA’s Wallops Island in Virginia carrying sealed packets prepared at Penn State. She also brought the idea of shipping concrete samples to the International Space Station for a round of experiments and the industry connections to make it happen. ![]() I’m excited about how this research helps advance the construction technology that is needed to create sustainable housing options,” Nazarian said.Īdvancements in printing concrete structures has led to researchers gaining a firm grasp on how materials behave on Earth but applying the same techniques on Mars was uncharted territory.Īleksandra Radlinska, assistant professor of civil engineering, brought to the team a wealth of research knowledge in the field of cement and concrete behavior and sustainability. For example, 3D printing does not require formwork, which consumes much of the cost and labor in this industry. “The result has been breakthroughs that can fundamentally change concrete construction. “The Mars competition has given us the opportunity to expand our understanding of 3D printing in ways we didn’t consider,” Nazarian said. In its early form, the technology was used to create smaller objects, but as research has progressed the concept of 3D-printed buildings has emerged in the industry as an alternative to conventional building methods. The University’s commitment to advancing the technology has resulted in 3D printing labs on campus that offer a glimpse of the technology being explored by the team.Īfter a digital scanning process, a computer-guided robotic arm controls a nozzle that discharges a paste-like printing compound, made from various materials and filaments, that rapidly hardens to form the desired object. Over the last decade, Penn State has been a leader in additive manufacturing research. ![]() The dramatic difference informed a dome design that allows the walls of the structure to withstand the pressurization necessary to provide human explorers with an atmospheric habitat similar to Earth’s.īut with each solution, another challenge presents itself. Earth’s atmospheric pressure is nearly 15 pounds per square inch and Mars has an atmospheric pressure of well less than one pound per square inch. One of the early design challenges the team faced was addressing the atmospheric pressure difference between the two planets. That funding, along with a grant from Penn State and in-kind contributions of materials and consultation from Autodesk, Gulf Concrete Technologies, and Tilcon, has helped the team navigate the challenges, which Duarte acknowledges are numerous. The internal success enjoyed by the team has led to second place finish in phase two and second and third place finishes in construction levels one and two of phase three of the competition, which has generated nearly $300,000 in prize money. “We have a vision and we are seeing it materializing with each breakthrough.” “Competing in the NASA challenge has been very exciting for all of us and it has brought together a team from across the University that represents the collaborative nature of Penn State,” Duarte said. The four-phase competition requires entrants to develop advanced 3D-printing technology, including the mechanical elements of the printer and a cement mixture using indigenous materials, to produce a structurally sound habitat that can be 3D-printed by NASA’s space explorers on Mars and beyond. For nearly two years, the team has been competing in NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge, a Centennial Challenges competition. ![]()
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