A New Structure Is Being 3D Printed to Simulate What Life May Be Like on Mars

Mars Dune Alpha, a 1,700 square-foot 3D-printed structure designed to simulate what living on the Red Planet may look like, is currently under construction at the Johnson Space Center in Texas. It’s being printed in collaboration with BIG studio, construction technology company ICON, and NASA to be studied in order to help humans prepare for life on Mars.

The hope is that Mars Dune Alpha will help NASA better understand the physical and mental challenges a crew may face on a long-term mission to Mars.

The current plan is that four people will occupy Mars Dune Alpha for extended periods of time. Half of the structure will be allocated for private crew quarters and the other half will house work, medical, and food-growing stations. A shared living space will be in the middle. Ceiling heights will vary throughout Mars Dune Alpha to “avoid spatial monotony and crew member fatigue,” according to ICON, per Dezeen.

Each room within the structure will also have customizable lighting, temperature, and sound control, and will come furnished with movable furniture that allows for further customization.

Mars Dune Alpha is being constructed using 3D printers because this type of technology is preferred for extraterrestrial habitats due to the lack of required materials needed.

“Together with NASA and ICON, we are investigating what humanity’s home on another planet will entail from the human experience,” BIG founder Bjarke Ingels said, per Dezeen. “Alpha will take us one step closer to becoming a multiplanetary species.”

NASA is currently recruiting crew members for the Mars Dune Alpha study, which is set to begin in the fall of 2022. Recruits will have to overcome simulated challenges that may occur during a real-life Mars mission such as resource limitations, communication delays, simulated spacewalks, and equipment failure. Applicants should be healthy U.S. citizens or permanent residents between the ages of 30 and 55 who are proficient in communicating in English between Mars Alpha Dune and mission control. Crew selection will follow standard NASA criteria for astronaut candidate applicants, but you can learn more about the application process over on NASA’s website.