Printing underground habitats on Mars
Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) and the European Space Agency (ESA) partnered with Vertico to research 3D printing future underground habitats on Mars. The project is led by Henriette Bier, Associate Professor and Leader of Robotic Building at TU Delft, and is funded by ESA.
A vision for off-Earth construction
Structures built above the surface of Mars would need walls several meters thick to protect inhabitants from radiation.
TU Delft's project proposes excavating the ground instead, creating subsurface habitats that are radiation-safe and thermally insulated.
The excavated material would be mixed with liquid sulfur to make concrete. That concrete would then be 3D printed to build habitable structures inside the excavated areas.
Vertico contributes its slicing and robotic printing technology and expertise. We translate the optimized geometries designed by TU Delft into printable prototypes, using tools such as Vertico Slicer.
Why 3D concrete printing
3D concrete printing builds structures by depositing a concrete mixture layer upon layer. This gives a lot of form freedom and helps optimize for the most efficient use of material.
Optimization often leads to unique, organic shapes. Those forms are usually costly with traditional techniques, but printing robots produce unique elements at no extra cost.
TU Delft aims to combine this technology with naturally occurring materials found on Mars to construct its habitats. Learn the basics in our guide to 3D concrete printing.
Vertico's role
The project also shows what Vertico's 3D concrete printing techniques make possible.
The advantages of 3D concrete printing are increasingly recognized across a broad range of projects. The need to reduce material and CO2, automate and produce cost-effectively makes it a high-potential technology. See how we work with universities and research institutes.
Credits
- Project lead: Henriette Bier, Robotic Building, TU Delft
- Funding: European Space Agency (ESA)
- Slicing and robotic printing: Vertico
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