{"id":17894,"date":"2019-02-22T09:00:59","date_gmt":"2019-02-22T14:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=17894"},"modified":"2019-02-20T15:20:11","modified_gmt":"2019-02-20T20:20:11","slug":"space-settlement-roundup-feb-22-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=17894","title":{"rendered":"Space settlement roundup &#8211; Feb.22.2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A sampling of items related to human settlements off earth:<\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Cylindrical homes on Mars<\/strong> created via 3D printing from local materials have made the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aispacefactory.com\/\">AI SpaceFactory<\/a> team a finalist in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/spacetech\/centennial_challenges\/3DPHab\/index.html\">NASA&#8217;s 3-D Printed Habitat Challenge<\/a> competition to design viable habitats for living on Mars:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aispacefactory.com\/single-post\/2019\/02\/04\/AI-SpaceFactory-builds-3D-printed-Mars-habitat-prototype-green-lighted-by-NASA-for-final-phase\">AI SpaceFactory builds 3D printed Mars habitat prototype, green-lighted by NASA for final phase &#8211; SpaceFactory<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"font_9\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Using state of the art robotics and their proprietary polymer, AI SpaceFactory is contending for the final top prize of $500,000 given to the highest scoring team to print a sub-scale habitat in the third and final phase of the construction competition. The 1:3 scale prototype will be printed in front of a live audience at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, from April 29 to May 4.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XnrVV0w2jrE?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>AI SpaceFactory was one of only four teams awarded among six who submitted entries, placing 2nd overall on the basis of 3D-printed samples that were tested for strength, impact resistance, and durability in extreme temperatures. In contrast to other teams, which used concrete as their construction material, AI SpaceFactory formulated their own material \u2013 a \u201cMartian polymer\u201d that can be made from matter found or grown on Mars. The polymer was validated by a third-party lab and proven to outperform concrete in every important way: superior tensile and compressive strength, extreme durability in freeze-thaw cycles, and enhanced ductility. The polymer also provides superior cosmic radiation absorption and thermal resistance (insulation) and can be made without water: essential characteristics in the construction of off-world habitats<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/C_KxqCL5L5Q?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"font_9\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>In five weeks, AI SpaceFactory progressed from basic tests to an autonomously-printed large-area slab validated by NASA in November 2018. Four weeks later the team successfully printed, in only 24 hours, a large cylinder designed to hold twelve-hundred gallons of water complete with prefabricated wall penetrations robotically placed and sealed &#8220;on the fly&#8221;.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"font_9\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>AI SpaceFactory describes MARHSA as a first-principles rethinking of what a Martian habitat could be &#8212; not another low-lying dome or confined half-buried structure, but an airy, multi-level environment filled with diffuse light. This innovation challenges the conventional image of \u201cspace age\u201d architecture by focusing on the creation of highly habitable spaces tuned to the demands of a Mars mission.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The MARSHA approach could work well with SpaceX&#8217;s Mars settlement goals: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/3d-printed-mars-habitat-perfect-fit-early-spacex-starship-colonies\/\" target=\"_d\">3D-printed Mars habitat could be a perfect fit for early SpaceX Starship colonies &#8211; Teslarati<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>You can follow AI Factory and other finalists in the contest at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/spacetech\/centennial_challenges\/3DPHab\/latest-updates-from-nasa-on-3d-printed-habitat-competition\">Latest Updates from NASA on 3D-Printed Habitat Competition | NASA<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Lavatube caves on the Moon and Mars<\/strong> could be excellent locales for early settlements. Bob Zimmerman writes about an opening that appears at the top of a long canyon: <a title=\"The location for a future Martian colony? | Behind The Black\" href=\"https:\/\/behindtheblack.com\/behind-the-black\/essays-and-commentaries\/the-location-for-a-future-martian-colony\/\">The location for a future Martian colony? | Behind The Black<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>My first reaction was, \u201cWhoa! That tiny pit is at the head of an increasingly growing canyon!\u201d To a caver on Earth, this instantly implies that water has flowed out of that pit and down the canyon, carving it out as it flowed. It also implied that the possible underground passage under the pit\u2019s north rim might conceivably be extensive.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17895\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=17895\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/ESP_046738_2090_TroughEnd_candidatecroppedreduced1.png\" data-orig-size=\"450,450\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ESP_046738_2090_TroughEnd_candidatecroppedreduced[1]\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/ESP_046738_2090_TroughEnd_candidatecroppedreduced1.png\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-17895\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/ESP_046738_2090_TroughEnd_candidatecroppedreduced1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/ESP_046738_2090_TroughEnd_candidatecroppedreduced1.png 450w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/ESP_046738_2090_TroughEnd_candidatecroppedreduced1-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/ESP_046738_2090_TroughEnd_candidatecroppedreduced1-300x300.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Reinforcing this first impression were the numerous dark streaks flowing down the canyon\u2019s cliff walls to the south. They all seemed to originate at about the same elevation as the pit itself, suggesting they all come from the same contact between two geological layers, a contact where water tends to gather. On Earth, when water seeps downward through water-soluble limestone and then gets blocked at a contact of more resistant material, it then starts to flow horizontally, creating a cave at that contact. The Martian dark streaks and pit in the image to the right suggest a similar process is occurring here.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Bob goes on to discuss the region around the above canyon and what role water may have played in forming the features there.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Nonetheless, the data illustrated by these images makes that tiny pit most enticing. It not only appears to be relatively easy to access its interior, there is visual evidence that suggests the presence of water.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>If I was a future settler of Mars, I would give this pit a very high priority for exploration. In fact, I think someone (maybe Elon Musk?) should already be considering a probe to delve its depths.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Rotating in-space habitats<\/strong> can provide artificial gravity and don&#8217;t require that space transports go in and out of deep gravity wells. The <a href=\"https:\/\/gatewayspaceport.com\/\">Gateway Foundation<\/a> initiative aims to develop a wheel-shaped station as the first large in-space habitat. This video lays out some of the design features: <em>SpaceX Starship and The Von Braun Rotating Space Station<\/em> &#8211;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vTNP01Sg-Ss?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Scott Manley gives a brief critique of the Gateway group&#8217;s approach: A Realistic Look At The Gateway Foundation &amp; Von Braun Station &#8211;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bUIK0U0PEgA?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Manley emphasizes that funding is the biggest challenge. I agree and believe that the only viable financial approach to such an orbital facility is one that allows for incremental growth. That is, devise a design that can start small and simple and grows step-by-step, just as happened with most towns on earth. For example, start with two <a href=\"http:\/\/bigelowaerospace.com\/pages\/b330\/\">Bigelow habitats<\/a> connected with a tether and rotating. Prove that this works technically and then show it works commercially by attracting a constant stream of paying visitors. This will then provide the basis to attract more investment to expand to more modules and a more elaborate structure.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">====<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B07FYWM41W\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B07FYWM41W&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=hobbyspace&amp;linkId=7b8e8998e8bbc06666d4930f6a4e6fb8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The High Frontier: An Easier Way<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=hobbyspace&amp;l=am2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B07FYWM41W\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe style=\"width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ac&amp;ref=tf_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=hobbyspace&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B07FYWM41W&amp;asins=B07FYWM41W&amp;linkId=96d3a62c5871c0c6409f7a8b294e2191&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true&amp;price_color=333333&amp;title_color=0066c0&amp;bg_color=ffffff\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><span style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A sampling of items related to human settlements off earth: ** Cylindrical homes on Mars created via 3D printing from local materials have made the AI SpaceFactory team a finalist in NASA&#8217;s 3-D Printed Habitat Challenge competition to design viable habitats for living on Mars:\u00a0AI SpaceFactory builds 3D printed Mars habitat prototype, green-lighted by NASA &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=17894\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Space settlement roundup &#8211; Feb.22.2019<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[15,17,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-in-space-infrastructure","category-living-in-space","category-space-settlement"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p34aWK-4EC","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":18704,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=18704","url_meta":{"origin":17894,"position":0},"title":"Two teams 3D-printed prototype Mars habitats in battle for $700k from NASA","author":"TopSpacer","date":"May 8, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Here is an account of the Mars habitat printing contest held last week in Illinois between teams from Penn State and the New York-based design agency AI SpaceFactory in the final phase of NASA\u2019s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge competition: AI SpaceFactory Wins NASA's 3D-Printed Extraterrestrial Habitats Challenge - IEEE Spectrum -\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;In Space Infrastructure&quot;","block_context":{"text":"In Space Infrastructure","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=15"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=hobbyspace&l=am2&o=1&a=1426220057","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16327,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=16327","url_meta":{"origin":17894,"position":1},"title":"Top 10 teams selected by NASA for next stage of 3D-Printed habitat competition","author":"TopSpacer","date":"July 3, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"An announcement from NASA: Top 10 Teams Selected in Virtual Stage of 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge NASA\u2019s\u00a03D-Printed Habitat Challenge\u00a0is challenging teams of citizen inventors to push the state of the art of additive construction to design and build sustainable shelters for humans to live on Mars. Previous levels of the challenge\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Asteroids &amp; Comets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Asteroids &amp; Comets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=75"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/x-arc_3dph_01-1024x503.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":18351,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=18351","url_meta":{"origin":17894,"position":2},"title":"Space settlement roundup &#8211; Mar.30.2019","author":"TopSpacer","date":"March 30, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of items that I've come across related to space settlement: ** 3 private teams share a $100,000 award from NASA for their Mars habitat design submissions in the agency's 3-D Printed Habitat Challenge: Teams competing in NASA\u2019s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge completed the latest level of the competition \u2013\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;In Space Infrastructure&quot;","block_context":{"text":"In Space Infrastructure","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=15"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/p3l4_search_apis_cor1.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":14356,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=14356","url_meta":{"origin":17894,"position":3},"title":"NASA 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge awards $100k to two teams in Phase 2: Level 1","author":"TopSpacer","date":"May 12, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"NASA's 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge selects winners for the first level of the competition: $100,000 Awarded in 1st Printing Stage of 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge\u00a0 Seven teams working on technology that could someday be used to create habitats from materials on other worlds have completed the first printing segment of NASA\u2019s 3D-Printed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Contests and Games&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Contests and Games","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=16"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/img21-1024x640.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10607,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=10607","url_meta":{"origin":17894,"position":4},"title":"NASA opens the 3D Printed Habitat Challenge competition","author":"TopSpacer","date":"May 19, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"NASA announces\u00a0the\u00a03D-Printed Habitat Challenge: NASA Challenges Designers to Build Deep Space Exploration Habitat NASA and the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, known as America Makes, are holding a new $2.25 million competition to design and build a 3-D printed habitat for deep space exploration, including the agency\u2019s journey to Mars.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Contests and Games&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Contests and Games","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=16"},"img":{"alt_text":"15-093[1]","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/15-0931-300x197.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11473,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=11473","url_meta":{"origin":17894,"position":5},"title":"&#8216;Mars Ice House&#8217; wins the NASA 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge contest","author":"TopSpacer","date":"September 27, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"NASA sponsored the\u00a0NASA 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge\u00a0in which entrant\u00a0teams develop 3D printing systems and techniques for building habitats on Mars. Thirty finalists were chosen in August. See descriptions of each team's concept at\u00a0Design Competition Finalists. At the\u00a0Maker Faire\u00a0underway this weekend in New York the teams displayed their designs and the winners\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Contests and Games&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Contests and Games","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=16"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mars-Ice-House_Dusk+01_lr[1]","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Mars-Ice-House_Dusk-01_lr1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17894"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17894\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17900,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17894\/revisions\/17900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}