Habitat on the moon from the 3D printer

The 3D printing company ICON was commissioned by NASA to research the infrastructure for possible construction on the moon.

NASA’s Artemis program is concerned with planning the long-term exploration of the moon by humans. This requires new technologies. This is because the moon presents unique challenges for life and work. This starts with the construction of the necessary infrastructure. NASA has therefore commissioned the Austin-based 3D printing company ICON to help with the construction of infrastructure. The aim is to create landing pads, habitats and roads on the surface of the moon.

ICON is also a pioneer here on Earth. The company recently broke ground on a large 3D-printed neighborhood in Texas. The company received almost 60 million dollars from NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research Program Fund. This will be used to enable further exploration of space environments such as the Moon and Mars.

ICON’s Vulcan robotic building system is a 3D printer that is used to build neighborhoods on Earth and simulations. It will be an important part of NASA’s Crew Health and Performance Analog mission. This mission starts in 2023 and simulates a year on Mars.

The latest round of funding for ICON will go towards the company’s Olympus project and support NASA’s Artemis program. This involves the creation and realization of a habitat on the moon. This ambitious project has been known since 2020 and is primarily concerned with the necessary infrastructure.

The extreme temperatures on the moon as well as factors such as radiation and micrometeors are a challenge for the development of dwellings. This is uncharted territory. Not too much is yet known about what possible dwellings and infrastructure could look like. In addition to a warm, safe and dry place, landing sites for spacecraft, protective shields and roads are also required.

ICON is planning according to the concept of “living off the land”. This means that the materials available on the surface of the Moon and Mars, such as rocks, will be used to create the planned habitat. On Earth, however, ICON will use a concrete polymer called Lavacrete, which will be layered to form facades and foundations.

ICON’s vision is to change the approach to space exploration. Instead of transporting materials back and forth, the company wants to use the resources on site. According to ICON, previous research and development work has shown that such systems are needed.

As part of the program, ICON will conduct a lunar gravity simulation flight with NASA. The company also plans to test rock and sediment samples from previous missions. The aim is to determine how the materials behave under lunar gravity.

The contract between ICON and NASA runs until 2028, but it is not yet clear when exactly the planned lunar habitat could be created.

Incidentally, NASA and ICON already worked together in 2021 to design an experimental habitat together with architects from the Bjarke Ingels Group.