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from the if-you-build-it-they-will-come dept.
Submitted via IRC for takyon
Although a recent NASA-supported study found Mars cannot be made inhabitable with our current technology, this hasn't stopped the space agency from continuing its plans to one day colonize the red planet. One such initiative launched in 2015 is the 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge. The $2.5 million competition, now in its third phase, seeks to find the most adequate housing for future Martian residents. The challenge also hopes to uncover advanced construction technologies that may be used in sustainable housing solutions for Earth as well.
Now, NASA and its competition partner Bradley University of Peoria, Illinois, have selected the five winning teams out of 18 submissions from around the world. The winners will share the $100,000 prize and will have to create 3D-printed one-third-scale versions of their designs to confirm their models' feasibility.
[...] "We are thrilled to see the success of this diverse group of teams that have approached this competition in their own unique styles," said in a statement Monsi Roman, program manager for NASA's Centennial Challenges. "They are not just designing structures, they are designing habitats that will allow our space explorers to live and work on other planets. We are excited to see their designs come to life as the competition moves forward."
(Score: 3, Informative) by takyon on Wednesday August 08 2018, @03:17PM (9 children)
https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/11506/what-other-shielding-material-than-lead-is-effective-against-gamma-rays [stackexchange.com]
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/langley/a-new-home-on-mars-nasa-langley-s-icy-concept-for-living-on-the-red-planet [nasa.gov]
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(Score: 2) by ikanreed on Wednesday August 08 2018, @03:44PM (1 child)
Gamma rays aren't the part of solar radiation that fuck you up. As hot as the sun is, most of its damaging photonic radiation is just UV. The stuff our atmosphere and magnetic field protect against are alpha particles and hydrogen atoms.
Being slightly underground/inside thick walls will mediate the risk of those to negligible levels.
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Wednesday August 08 2018, @09:10PM
And if gamma rays were a problem, a bit of paraffin outside the inner shielding would solve that problem, too. Or perhaps ice would be better. You'd need a bit more, but it would be easier to shape, and available in case of unexpected need for water. Still, ice would need to be cold enough to protect against sumlimation, though I guess a layer of oil on top of it might solve that problem.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Wednesday August 08 2018, @04:09PM (6 children)
But what will shield us from tachyons?
(Score: 3, Touché) by takyon on Wednesday August 08 2018, @04:09PM (5 children)
Dark matter.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Wednesday August 08 2018, @05:19PM (4 children)
Hmmm. I can't argue- so far it's working well. Will dark matter shield us from dark energy?
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday August 08 2018, @05:23PM (3 children)
Dark energy is holding back the antimatter universe.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Wednesday August 08 2018, @05:39PM (2 children)
Are you sure you're allowed to tell us all of that?
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 08 2018, @06:42PM (1 child)
As long as you avoid the Devron system, you'll be fine.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Wednesday August 08 2018, @09:27PM
True that. I forget, is that where Skaro is? I'm trying to avoid that one too.