Texas company wins grant to 3D-print moon bases

I found this pretty cool, ATS.

It seems that a company in Texas has landed a contract with NASA to develop and build 3-D habitats for the Moon& Mars and setup the infrastructure for living and working on the Moon and/or Mars. This new contract is worth $57 million so let's keep our fingers crossed that this Moon Base gets completed! I'll admit that $57MIL isn't a lot in terms of Space budgets but it's a start.

Austin-based ICON received the five-year contract to build out construction methods to fabricate future roads, landing pads and habitats from lunar or Martian materials.

“In order to explore other worlds, we need innovative new technologies adapted to those environments and our exploration needs,” Niki Werkheiser, a director at NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, said in a statement.

The grant is a continuation of an existing partnership to develop construction methods that allow infrastructure to be built from lunar or Martian soil, according to NASA.

I'm excited for the activity in the Space industry as of late but the conspiracy side in me says that something is up............? What say you, ATS?

thehill.com...

a reply to: lostbook

Thata cool, but i am more excited about the Florida company that will start 3d printing homes in the tampa bay area starting in '24. Prices will drop signifigantly after the first dozen or so.

a reply to: lostbook


Probably waste of time and money IMO They should dig to underground and build there. first robots that do the tunnels , then maybe use that kind of 3D printer or other to build the structures.


How many space rocks hit the moon every year?

So how many objects hit the moon every day? What about every year? The answer depends on the size of the object, Cooke said. NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office studies the space environment around Earth and the moon to understand the flux of meteoroids (space rocks ranging in size (opens in new tab) from dust to small asteroids about 3 feet, or 1 meter, across), so Cooke is very familiar with what's hitting the moon every day.

For impactors smaller than a millimeter, the number cannot be precisely quantified, but Cooke estimates that 11 to 1,100 tons (10 to 1,000 metric tons) — the mass of about 5.5 cars — of dust collide with the moon per day. For larger rocks, the estimates are clearer. "There are about 100 pingpong-ball-sized meteoroids hitting the moon per day," Cooke said. That adds up to roughly 33,000 meteoroids per year. Despite their small size, each of these pingpong-ball-size rocks impacts the surface with the force of 7 pounds (3.2 kilograms) of dynamite.

Larger meteoroids hit the moon, too, but less often. Cooke estimates that larger meteoroids, such as ones 8 feet (2.5 meters) across, slam into the moon about every four years. Those objects hit the moon with the force of a kiloton, or 1,000 tons (900 metric tons) of TNT. The moon is about 4.5 billion years old, so it's no wonder its surface is pockmarked with all kinds of craters from these impacts.

originally posted by: lostbook
I found this pretty cool, ATS.

It seems that a company in Texas has landed a contract with NASA to develop and build 3-D habitats for the Moon& Mars and setup the infrastructure for living and working on the Moon and/or Mars. This new contract is worth $57 million so let's keep our fingers crossed that this Moon Base gets completed! I'll admit that $57MIL isn't a lot in terms of Space budgets but it's a start.

Austin-based ICON received the five-year contract to build out construction methods to fabricate future roads, landing pads and habitats from lunar or Martian materials.

“In order to explore other worlds, we need innovative new technologies adapted to those environments and our exploration needs,” Niki Werkheiser, a director at NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, said in a statement.

The grant is a continuation of an existing partnership to develop construction methods that allow infrastructure to be built from lunar or Martian soil, according to NASA.

I'm excited for the activity in the Space industry as of late but the conspiracy side in me says that something is up............? What say you, ATS?

thehill.com...

It is cool sounds like this is a grant for research and perhaps a model and demonstrations proof of concept

originally posted by: Kenzo
a reply to: lostbook


Probably waste of time and money IMO

They should dig to underground and build there. first robots that do the tunnels , then maybe use that kind of 3D printer or other to build the structures.


How many space rocks hit the moon every year?

So how many objects hit the moon every day? What about every year? The answer depends on the size of the object, Cooke said. NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office studies the space environment around Earth and the moon to understand the flux of meteoroids (space rocks ranging in size (opens in new tab) from dust to small asteroids about 3 feet, or 1 meter, across), so Cooke is very familiar with what's hitting the moon every day.

For impactors smaller than a millimeter, the number cannot be precisely quantified, but Cooke estimates that 11 to 1,100 tons (10 to 1,000 metric tons) — the mass of about 5.5 cars — of dust collide with the moon per day. For larger rocks, the estimates are clearer. "There are about 100 pingpong-ball-sized meteoroids hitting the moon per day," Cooke said. That adds up to roughly 33,000 meteoroids per year. Despite their small size, each of these pingpong-ball-size rocks impacts the surface with the force of 7 pounds (3.2 kilograms) of dynamite.

Larger meteoroids hit the moon, too, but less often. Cooke estimates that larger meteoroids, such as ones 8 feet (2.5 meters) across, slam into the moon about every four years. Those objects hit the moon with the force of a kiloton, or 1,000 tons (900 metric tons) of TNT. The moon is about 4.5 billion years old, so it's no wonder its surface is pockmarked with all kinds of craters from these impacts.

You bring up a good point not only isn't the radiation off the charts as well, I'm certain Ive read stories where they need at least 2 feet of regolith to get the exposure down

Putting the important infrastructure down deep is a good idea. As for the stuff on the surface, if it gets blown up, just print another one.

As for building such a device that is small and economical enough to put on a space ship would be a handy tool when exploring new worlds. Cut down on a lot of labor costs and have some quick and easy safe place when out there doing what explorers do.

originally posted by: Kenzo
a reply to: lostbook


Probably waste of time and money IMO

They should dig to underground and build there. first robots that do the tunnels , then maybe use that kind of 3D printer or other to build the structures.


How many space rocks hit the moon every year?

So how many objects hit the moon every day? What about every year? The answer depends on the size of the object, Cooke said. NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office studies the space environment around Earth and the moon to understand the flux of meteoroids (space rocks ranging in size (opens in new tab) from dust to small asteroids about 3 feet, or 1 meter, across), so Cooke is very familiar with what's hitting the moon every day.

For impactors smaller than a millimeter, the number cannot be precisely quantified, but Cooke estimates that 11 to 1,100 tons (10 to 1,000 metric tons) — the mass of about 5.5 cars — of dust collide with the moon per day. For larger rocks, the estimates are clearer. "There are about 100 pingpong-ball-sized meteoroids hitting the moon per day," Cooke said. That adds up to roughly 33,000 meteoroids per year. Despite their small size, each of these pingpong-ball-size rocks impacts the surface with the force of 7 pounds (3.2 kilograms) of dynamite.

Larger meteoroids hit the moon, too, but less often. Cooke estimates that larger meteoroids, such as ones 8 feet (2.5 meters) across, slam into the moon about every four years. Those objects hit the moon with the force of a kiloton, or 1,000 tons (900 metric tons) of TNT. The moon is about 4.5 billion years old, so it's no wonder its surface is pockmarked with all kinds of craters from these impacts.

I think it would be much easier to 3d print buildings then cover them up rather than to try to dig buildings into loose soil.

a reply to: beyondknowledge


Yeeh maybe , we are theorizing this from Earth, people should carefully think about this to figure what is the best way. I guess they need giant robot catepillar bulldozer in Moon

a reply to: Kenzo

I guess they need giant robot catepillar bulldozer in Moon

Hell yeah. Or some way to print one?

a reply to: kwakakev


They do print all kinds of stuff now days, from weapons to houses so might be possibe for bulldozer also .

There is new tunnel drilling technology which uses plasma , that would be fast in moon , but i doubt it can work in low oxygen environment .


Earthgrid aims to re-wire the USA using super-cheap tunnel tech

3D printing is pretty neat.
I remembered something that caught my eye recently

Mushroom Houses on the Moon

originally posted by: Kenzo
a reply to: lostbook


Probably waste of time and money IMO

They should dig to underground and build there. first robots that do the tunnels, then maybe use that kind of 3D printer or other to build the structures.

Those are my thoughts as well.

A safe underground base facility with oxygen generator.

A European startup is perfecting technology that will be sent to the moon to make oxygen from lunar soil as part of a 2025 European Space Agency (ESA) demonstration mission. www.space.com...

who knows --- if this artemis mission' study goal finally will have figured out
how humans can cross the van Allen belt

a reply to: Annee


That`s really great if they could make oxygen locally in Moon , i had no idea the soil itself has oxygen .

originally posted by: Kenzo
a reply to: Annee


That`s really great if they could make oxygen locally in Moon , i had no idea the soil itself has oxygen .

I've also always been interested in the Space Elevator to haul heavy equipment to the moon.

The idea of a space elevator, an elevator compartment that travels up a cable, positioned at the equator and extending 90,000 miles to the Pearson radius (minimum 40,000 miles desired by ISEC.org), is now possible with special graphene (sheets of single-layer carbon) with tensile-strength and momentum tether attributes that may only require 1-1/2 Mega Newtons of tension resistance and no need (as with compressional cable with no momentum tether that will not revolve around the Earth daily, but wrap around Earth to the west) for something to force cable eastward to maintain geosynchronous orbit. Some scientists say you must have a cable strong enough to withstand gravity pulling in one direction, and a centrifugal force pulling in the opposite direction, which is 100 Mega Newtons of tension regardless of what your cable consists of or the shape. www.spaceelevatorx.com...

a reply to: Annee


That`s interesting consept , it goes to level my brain cant fully understand


Some jackass could hit it with aeroplane , just to get name to history books .

originally posted by: Kenzo
a reply to: Annee


That`s interesting consept , it goes to level my brain cant fully understand

Some jackass could hit it with aeroplane , just to get name to history books .

There are always idiots.

But rockets and fuel are expensive and bad for the environment.

Imagine the payload to lift and deliver heavy equipment and supplies.

A Space Elevator is cost effective and environmentally friendly (at least compared to a rocket).

This gives me serious "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" vibes. Very cool OP!

a reply to: Annee


Rocked fuels do cause pollution , so that`s one good reason to have elevator .

I dont understand how they could make such a long structure , and how to get then the other end to Moon , but i dont generally understand these so well

I would be speechless if they could build that space elevator .

originally posted by: Kenzo
a reply to: Annee


Rocked fuels do cause pollution , so that`s one good reason to have elevator .

I dont understand how they could make such a long structure , and how to get then the other end to Moon , but i dont generally understand these so well

I would be speechless if they could build that space elevator .

Think carbon silica nanofibers wound into cables as big as a mans waist then those co-axed into a larger composite cable. Repeat until it's as long as needed.