If you are thinking of moving to Mars, NASA is way ahead of you. Recently, NASA started a 3D Printed Habitat Challenge, so we can get a glimpse of what Mars living looks like.
NASA picked Marsha by AI SpaceFactory as the winner of the half-million-dollar prize. The concept uses materials collected on Mars and 3D-print vertical pods. The final version would be three times the size of the prototype the company built.
Designing a liveable house for Mars entails a brand new premise. The average temperature on Mars is about 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 60 degrees Celcius). The plant is barren. The thin atmosphere allows strong radiation penetrating into the exterior of the house.
Marsha uses a dual-shell system to separate the indoor pod from the outside world, providing an optimal temperature inside.
Astronauts would be able to enter a sealed hatch on the ground level to conduct tests and do daily work. Entering and exiting the pod would require the astronauts to be geared up in spacesuits.
Each living pod is 15-foot tall and 8 feet in diameter. It has four levels in the interior with winding staircases connecting them.
Basic amenities like sleeping pods, recreational rooms are also available. The private living quarter is designed for functionality. It has a simple bed, a kitchen and a garden for growing plants.
AI SpaceFactory said that the interior of the pods is designed to provide a comfortable living environment, with good ventilation systems. Each level has at least one window, with a 360 panoramic view. The company adds they would use indirect natural light from the atmosphere to keep the crew safe from harmful sunlight and radiation.
The runner-up for the competition, team Zopherus designed an autonomous rover that builds and shifts to the next site itself. In third place, a team from Mars Incubator made four interconnected pods which resemble an enlarged Star Wars BB-8 Droid.
