ICON awarded $57.2 million from NASA for in-space construction Aerospace

ICON, a leader in advanced construction technologies and large-scale 3D printing, received a contract awarded under Phase III of NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The nearly $60 million contract builds upon previous NASA and Department of Defense funding for ICON’s Project Olympus to research and develop space-based construction systems to support the planned exploration of the Moon and beyond. ICON’s ‘Olympus’ system is intended to be a multi-purpose construction system primarily using local Lunar and Martian resources as building materials to further the efforts of NASA, as well as commercial organizations, to establish a sustained lunar presence.

ICON’s Project Olympus looks at 3D printed Moon habitats for NASA Artemis Construction 3D Printing

ICON’s Project Olympus looks at 3D printed Moon habitats for NASA Artemis Construction 3D Printing

Following in the footsteps of construction 3D printing pioneers D-Shape and Contour Crafting, ICON, a developer of advanced construction technologies including robotics, software, and building materials, has been awarded a government Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract. The deal includes funding from NASA to begin research and development on Project Olympus: a space-based construction system that could support future exploration of the Moon. ICON will also dedicate a division of the company to focus on space.

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NASA 3D-Printed Habitat competition selects top 5 teams Aerospace

Beginning in 2014, the NASA 3D-Printed Habitat Competition has been challenging teams from around the world to propose effective solutions for colonizing the red planet through robotic building systems (which are now generally understood to be different types of 3D printers). After two stages where NASA awarded a total of over $1 million to competitors, the final prize was awarded to the top 5 projects.

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Five giant prints for mankind Aerospace

Despite the fact that construction 3D printing is still just taking off here on Earth, some companies are already looking beyond the Stratosphere towards building 3D printed habitats and liveable structures in space. The ambitious and quite niche branch of AM research, spurred on by space exploration organizations such as NASA and ESA, is being pioneered by a handful of companies who believe their construction AM platforms have the potential to be adapted for the harsh environments of the Moon and Mars.

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Apis Cor participates in NASA 3D Printed Habitat competition to build on Mars Aerospace

As NASA launches (this morning) its InSight lander mission to study the Martian planetary interior and underground composition, 3D printing construction firm Apis Cor and architecture studios SEArch+ reveal they will participate in the 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge contest, organized by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The main goal of the NASA competition is the promotion of additive technologies that are necessary to create an inhabited environment on Mars.