Skip to main content

NASA wants to 3D print habitats with metal extracted from Martian soil

potatoes on mars rendering of life habitat
Pat Rawlings / NASA
NASA wants to send a manned mission to Mars in the 2030s. In the meantime, the agency is working to cut costs by lightening its payload as much as possible. To that end, scientists are studying the various ways to make goods on Mars rather than carry materials there.

The agency teamed up with University of Central Florida (UCF) professor Sudipta Seal to study Martian soil (regolith) and, hopefully, devise a way to extract metals that could then be used to 3D print a human habitat.

Recommended Videos

“The regolith on any rocky planet is composed of metal oxides,” Kevin Grossman, a UCF graduate student and NASA intern working on the project, told Digital Trends, “and by electrolyzing them, we can essentially convert dirt into pure metal and oxygen.”

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Known as molten regolith electrolysis, the process involves melting soil by heating it to almost 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Oppositely charged electrodes on either side of the molten matter then separate the metals from oxygen as each material is pulled toward its preferred electrode.

“Both of these materials are imperative to the colonization of Mars or the moon,” Grossman said. “Oxygen is important for a variety of reasons, the most obvious being that humans like to breathe. The less obvious application for oxygen is as the oxidizer for the propellant needed for said humans to return to Earth.

“This project is focusing on the metal being 3D printed into structural components or small tools,” Grossman continued. “However, future projects may focus on refining the alloy products into base metals such as pure silicon, which will enable the production of electronic components in space.”

Through this research, NASA hopes to promote massless exploration and “in-situ resource utilization” (ISRU), the principle of living off the land instead of lugging resources through space.

“ISRU is not a new concept,” Grossman said. “It has been understood by every explorer and settler in human history, we’re just doing it on the grandest of scales.”

Much of the cost of space missions depends on the weight of the rocket and the goods it carries. As such, the lighter the launch, the more affordable the mission and the more that can be spent on science. With molten regolith electrolysis, astronauts can leave metals — and even a lot of oxygen — on Earth, instead of using metals extracted from Martian soil to manufacture habitats, tools, and equipment while there.

“The added benefit of additive manufacturing from this project also greatly reduces the need for human labor to start the colonization process,” Grossman said. “We can send robots ahead of us to begin construction of human habitats so our colonists already have a comfortable place to stay. A sort of Chateau de Mars, if you will.”

Dyllan Furness
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Dyllan Furness is a freelance writer from Florida. He covers strange science and emerging tech for Digital Trends, focusing…
Watch NASA video showing recent Mars helicopter flight in 3D
NASA's Ingenuity helicopter.

NASA’s Mars helicopter has been creating lots of headlines over the last month after becoming the first aircraft to perform controlled, powered flight on another planet.

The space agency has released videos showing Ingenuity’s five flights to date, but all of them have been in boring old 2D.

Read more
The best 3D printers under $500
3D printers are finally affordable. Here are the best models under $500
anycubic photon review 3d printer xxl 2

The 3D printing market has seen quite a few changes over the last few years. In just the span of a decade, the barrier to entry has dropped from well over several thousand dollars to under $200 in some cases. However, all entry and mid-level printers are not made equal. We have a few suggestions for prospective buyers and other information regarding alternatives not found on this list.

To some veterans of the 3D printing scene, this list may seem like it lacks a few of the most commonly recommended printers for newcomers. This is by design. Our list only considers printers with tested components from proven, reliable vendors. That's why we chose the Monoprice MP Mini v2 as our top pick--it's reliable and easy to use. We have avoided any printer with a frame primarily made from interlocking acrylic pieces and anything historically unreliable.
Most bang for your buck: Monoprice MP Mini v2
 
Pros:

Read more
Ceramic ink could let doctors 3D print bones directly into a patient’s body
ceramic ink 3d printed bones bioprinting australia 2

Scientists use a novel ink to 3D print ‘bone’ with living cells

The term 3D bioprinting refers to the use of 3D printing technology to fabricate biomedical parts that, eventually, could be used to create replacement organs or other body parts as required. While we’re not at that point just yet, a number of big advances have been made toward this dream over the past couple of decades.

Read more