Browsing by Author "Yashar, Melodie"
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Item 3D-Printing Lunar and Martian Habitats and the Potential Applications for Additive Construction(2020 International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2020-07-31) Roman, Monserrate; Yashar, Melodie; Fiske, Michael; Nazarian, Shadi; Adams, Amanda; Boyd, Platt; Bentley, Michael; Ballard, JasonIn 2015, the NASA Centennial Challenges program launched the 3D-Printed Habitat (3DPH) competition to develop housing solutions for extended-duration missions on planetary surfaces using advanced additive construction technology. The challenge was executed in three phases with increasing complexities and requirements. The main goal of the competition was to use of planetary indigenous materials and mission recyclables as feedstock for large-scale, autonomous 3D printers to construct a habitat on the Moon or Mars. Phase 1 challenged teams to develop state-of-the-art architecture concepts that took advantage of unique capabilities offered by 3D-printing. In Phase 2, teams autonomously 3D-printed structural components using terrestrial/space-based materials and recyclables. Phase 3 tasked competitors to fabricate sub-scale habitats using indigenous materials with or without mission-generated recyclables and ended in a head-to-head competition. The developments from this challenge are applicable both to the fulfillment of NASA’s Moon to Mars mission and to the creation of affordable and sustainable housing solutions on Earth. This paper will summarize the results of the four-year challenge and provide an overview of team achievements as a result of the competition. Results from the competition include humanitarian and business opportunities created/negotiated and the development of 3D-printed housing solutions for people such those in need of shelter in Austin, Texas and 3D-printing houses at the United Nations habitat headquarters in Nairobi, Keyna. The Phase 3: Level 5 winner, AI. SpaceFactory, is currently 3D-printing an ecofriendly house in New York called Terra, a full-size habitat design for Mars and available on Earth.Item Mars Ice House: Using the Physics of Phase Change in 3D Printing a Habitat with H2O(46th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2016-07-10) Ciardullo, Christina; Morris, Michael; Lents, Kelsey; Montes, Jeffrey; Yashar, Melodie; Rudakevych, Ostap; Sono, Masayuki; Sono, YukoMars Ice House was the first place winner of NASA’s 2015 Centennial Challenge to 3D print a habitat for Mars using indigenous resources. Unlike most traditional design concepts making use of Martian regolith, Mars Ice House makes use of subsurface ice in the construction of a full 3D printed habitat made out of solid H2O. Citing new evidence of the potential hazards of perchlorates in the Martian soil, working within NASA’s “follow the water” approach to exploration, and stemming from a human centered design approach wanting to connect largely interior habitats to the light and vistas of the surrounding landscape for human psychological wellbeing, H20 serves as a radiation barrier, absorbing shorter wavelength radiation, while allowing light through in the visible spectrum. The resultant is a 1000sf (9.2 m2) translucent vertical habitat with a maximum of surface visibility allowing visible light into the interior of the habitat. The design covers all potential aspects of construction from water collection approaches, concept of operations, and semi-autonomous robotic 3D printing approaches, all which exploit the manipulation of pressure and temperature to build with phase change as opposed to more laborious building techniques. Investigating several potential methods, Mars Ice House was able to demonstrate scaled 3D printing of ice as well as use small scale robotic technologies capable of building large scale structures. Furthermore the design of Mars Ice House proposes spatial and scalable approaches to building with solid H2O as a primary building material which support human health and wellbeing.Item Mars X-House: Design Principles for an Autonomously 3D-Printed ISRU Surface Habitat(49th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2019-07-07) Yashar, Melodie; Ciardullo, Christina; Morris, Michael; Pailes-Friedman, Rebeccah; Moses, Robert; Case, DanielMARS X-HOUSE V.1 and MARS X-HOUSE V.2 demonstrate architectural principles applied through an evidence-based process supporting two concepts of operations for autonomous construction of a pioneering and durable habitat supporting future missions to Mars. The two habitat designs have evolved in parallel to research advancing the viability of cementitious 3D-Printing in off-world construction, and present a scheme to develop an ISRU-based concrete material for future Mars infrastructure and habitat development. SEArch+ and Apis Cor are participants within NASA’s Phase III Centennial Challenge for a 3D-Printed Habitat on Mars, winning first place in Construction Levels 1 and 2, fourth place in Virtual Design Level 1 (60% Design), and first place in Virtual Design Level 2 (100% Design). MARS X HOUSE celebrates innovations in radiation shielding while allowing natural light to penetrate the structure, supporting the astronauts’ physiological and psychological well-being in a long-duration mission. Our human-centered approach prioritizes safety, redundancy, and the wellbeing of the crew above the Martian surface. Rather than burying habitats underground, the designs of MARS X-HOUSE seek to exceed current radiation standards through a combination of thermoplastic, fibrous, and cementitious materials while safely connecting the crew to natural light and views to the Martian landscape. In conversation with ISRU, planetary, and radiation experts, new studies (Cucinotta et al.) indicate that the density of Mars atmosphere along the horizon can allow light transmission up to 30° above the horizon. This critical finding enables a relaxation of constraints and supports architectural concepts featuring windows and apertures allowing vistas to the Martian surface. Research indicating whether concrete structures may indeed contain an atmosphere in off-world conditions remains inconclusive. The evidence-based process of MARS X-HOUSE 1 and 2 advances research supporting the structural and material development of additively-manufactured airtight structures, essential for future surface habitats on the Moon and Mars.Item Project Olympus: Off-World Additive Construction for Lunar Surface Infrastructure(50th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 7/12/2021) Yashar, Melodie; Ballard, Jason; Jensen, Evan; Morris, Michael; Pailes-Friedman, Rebeccah; Elshanshoury, Waleed; Esfandabadi, Mahsa; Netti, Vittorio; Rajkumar, Albert; Gomez, David; Guzeev, AlexanderIn Project Olympus, ICON and SEArch+ have developed design schematics for critical surface infrastructure necessary for a permanent lunar base. In 2020 ICON was awarded an SBIR contribution from Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to contribute to NASA Marshall�s Moon-to-Mars Planetary Autonomous Construction Technologies (MMPACT) initiative. ICON will first demonstrate additive manufacturing capabilities for horizontal structures such as roads and landing pads, followed by demonstrations of vertical structures, including unpressurized radiation shelters as well as habitats. In 2020, ICON employed SEArch+ to develop design schematics for mission-critical surface construction elements for a lunar settlement, including concepts for surface-site deployment, construction sequencing, and structural design. The design process was informed by discussions with key ICON engineers and NASA collaborators. The exchange not only ensured the constructibility of designs according to hardware and material processing limitations, but also enabled the architectural process to influence and shape hardware requirements as they were being defined. The ensuing habitat design, titled the �Lunar Lantern� for its double-protective outer shield structure, celebrates and promotes a design approach driven by human factors principles to ensure the safety and security of future crew. As a whole, Project Olympus envisions the construction of durable, self-maintaining, and resilient surface structures enabled by advanced 3D-printing technologies.