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NASA wants to use 3D printing technology to build deep space habitats onsite instead of bringing the materials with them. Towards that end they have announced the 3D Printed Habitat Challenge, in partnership with America Makes, as part of the ongoing Centennial Challenge program.
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NASA Announces the 3D Printed Habitat Challenge For Moon and Mars Bases
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Fascinating is a word I use for the unexpected.
-- Spock, "The Squire of Gothos", stardate 2124.5
(Score: 3, Interesting) by VLM on Tuesday May 19 2015, @03:34PM
Unless they'll be 3D printing using space-dust
From the official rules that's section (2.0) subsection (2.1) where the semi-fictional mission goal seems to be air dropping printer factories over a geographic area to manufacture multiple housing projects on Mars.
I guess if your rover breaks down and you figure the suit will keep you alive for 2 miles on foot, worst case, then you have an emergency-ish shelter every 4 miles or so along the road. There is some chicken and egg logic, if you knew the conditions were geologically suitable for an emergency shelter, then you wouldn't need to take a geological road trip requiring the shelters, more or less, sort of.
There is also the amplifying effect that a lot of hollywood movie plot seems to rely on "the one critical element" failing so obviously instead of launching one shelter or even two, you launch a printer and keep manufacturing independent buildings until the darn thing breaks, you might end up with 20 huts for a 10 person crew, well that's OK I guess.
I've been on the fence about entering since I heard about it on the weekend, I've been studying the rules since Saturday, thinking about it on and off... I really don't have time for this, on the other hand it looks like fun. If I'm going to enter a centennial challenge I'd MUCH rather do the sample return robot, but that takes even more time and a pretty good chunk of money too.