NASA Works With An Engineer To Build Colonies On Mars

NASA's Mars exploration rover has been probing the Red Planet for its potential habitability. As people wait for a go signal on an interplanetary migration, the space agency is working on building a colony in 3D print.

DNA India reported that NASA is working with Behrokh Khoshnevis in designing possible houses for the Red Planet. The project began in 2011 and the building design will be printed in 3D. Using his 3D-printing method called Contour Crafting (CC), the professor at University of Southern California was able to print a 2,500-square-foot building in less than 24 hours.

"Building in space is going to become commonplace in less than 50 years," Khoshnevis told CNN. "There's an abundance of energy and materials [and] in a short time, our capability to manufacture in space will be many times what we can do on Earth."

The NASA engineer said that the environment on Mars is hostile to humans and that robots are needed to build a colony on the planet. Humans would need to have robots create construction plants, power grids and landing pads and roads before they even land on the Red Planet.

The engineer added that his 3D printer should be controlled by a remote on Earth when it is launched to space. But it is not that easy.

According to Khoshnevis, getting the technology to Mars requires an enormous amount of work. They will have to mount loads of construction machines inside a rocket compartment, which would probably need larger rockets. The cost of transporting is considerably expensive, too.

But sending the technology is only the hardest part. He added that the contents will start to work on their own when the compartment finally lands since astronauts cannot be construction workers at the same time.

Khoshnevis is confident that humans can conquer Mars and beyond in the next 50 to 100 years.