The purpose of NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Competition is to curate new methods of developing a sustainable habitat in a variety of environments, specifically by using recycled materials and/or materials local to the specified environment. Essentially, the competition is seeking to find possible methods of constructing livable conditions by using 3D printing technology. The entry for Phase 3, Level 3 of the competition was prepared in the 3D printing lab on the University Park campus in December. The successful completion of the seal-test challenge allowed the team to move on to the final level: constructing a 3D printed habitat that will be sustainable on Mars. The winner of this level of the competition will receive a $500,000 prize to aid future research and development. “The requirements are very ambitious for this challenge because this one is head to head, toe to toe, in a large, open space when the printing has to happen in front of judges,” said Radlińska, when discussing Phase 3, Level 4 of the competition. According to Radlińska, the competition not only pushes the team in the realm of 3D printing, but it also strengthens their skills in teamwork and timely delivery of the built product.

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