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Construction3D-Printed Buildings Today
Twenty flashcards on buildings already 3D printed for NASA, the U.S. military and federal research, with figures from NASA, ICON and NIST.
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20 cards
- How much did NASA award in the final round of its 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge, and to whom?
- $700,000 to two teams: $500,000 to AI SpaceFactory and $200,000 to Pennsylvania State University.
- How long did the finalists print during that head-to-head round?
- 30 hours of 3D printing over four days, in 10-hour stints in front of judges.
- What did the finalists print, and at what scale?
- Subscale shelters from recyclables and materials found on places like the Moon and Mars, at one-third scale of their designs.
- How big was the whole NASA 3D-printed habitat competition?
- Started in 2015, it drew more than 60 teams, and NASA awarded over $2 million in prize money.
- What is NASA's CHAPEA?
- A series of simulated year-long Mars stays, each with four crew members in an isolated 1,700-square-foot 3D-printed habitat.
- When did the first CHAPEA mission start and end?
- It began June 25, 2023 and ended July 6, 2024.
- What did the first CHAPEA crew do during their 378 days in the printed habitat?
- Simulated Marswalks, grew vegetables, maintained the habitat, and lived with communication delays, limited resources and isolation.
- Who is in CHAPEA's second mission, and until when?
- Ross Elder, Ellen Ellis, Matthew Montgomery and James Spicer, living and working in the habitat until Oct. 31, 2026.
- Who printed NASA's Mars Dune Alpha habitat, and who designed it?
- ICON printed it with its Vulcan construction system; the architecture firm BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group designed it.
- How is the inside of Mars Dune Alpha laid out?
- Four private crew quarters at one end; workstations, medical and food-growing stations at the other; shared living space between.
- Why does ICON say future space habitats may be 3D printed?
- So missions do not have to launch large amounts of building materials on many flights, which costs too much.
- What did ICON deliver in 2018 on Earth?
- The first permitted 3D-printed home in the U.S.
- What contract did NASA give ICON for lunar construction?
- A Small Business Innovation Research Phase III award worth $57.2 million, running through 2028.
- What will ICON's Olympus system build with, and what for?
- Local resources on the Moon and Mars as building material, for landing pads, habitats and roads.
- What did ICON print at Camp Swift in Texas for the Texas Military Department?
- A 3,800 sq ft training barracks for up to 72 soldiers or airmen, then the largest 3D-printed structure in North America.
- When were the Camp Swift barracks unveiled, and what first did they mark?
- At a ribbon-cutting on August 16, 2021; their residents became the first soldiers in the world to live in 3D-printed barracks.
- What did the U.S. Army award ICON on January 15, 2026?
- A $62.8 million production agreement to 3D print ten transient training barracks at Fort Bliss, Texas, in six months.
- How were 3D-printed walls tested for military use?
- Through 65+ full-scale wall tests and 100+ component tests of the ICON wall system.
- How tall is the overhanging concrete tree NIST printed?
- 1.3 meters (4.5 feet), the tallest overhanging object ever printed at its lab.
- Why does NIST say 3D concrete printing can improve construction?
- No formwork to build, precise control of the concrete mix, and fewer people in hazardous work areas.
Official sources
NASA (Marshall Space Flight Center)
NASA, ICON Advance Lunar Construction Technology for Moon Missions
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Additive Manufacturing: Cementitious Materials
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Additive Manufacturing with Cement-based Materials
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