GALILEO MARS BASE by lucaeale

Last crawled date: 2 years, 12 months ago

GALILEO MARS BASE
Named after Galileo Galilei, a revolutionary scientist and astronomer, and the father of the scientific method .
This Mars base originates from a new technology: 3D-printed houses.
In the inital trip(s) to Mars, the transport would only carry the astronauts, a mining module and equipment, resources, scientific equipment, and a large, house-making 3D printer.
The region of settlement will be first surveyed for presence of necessary resources (metal ore, subterranean water, materials to produce concrete from regolith.
When they settle onto Mars, at first, the astronauts will live in the mining/manufacturing module.
They will generate Oxygen and Nitrogen, necessary to create and maintain a breathable environment. These can both be extracted from the martian atmosphere, which is thin compared to that on earth, but contains all the necessary gasses.
Water can be generated chemically and/or harvested from subterranean deposits. Polar ice caps are an option but it would require the base to be establish in this harsher area. In addition, some metal ore will need to be mined, to help make more additions to the base. They will be mining regolith from the surface of Mars, which will be used to create concrete (similar to the proposed production of Lunarcrete on the Moon). Water will be needed also to pour the concrete.
At this point, they would set up the 3D printer, and have it print out the dome-shaped units.
The printer will use the regolith concrete to make the buildings, while the majority of the fittings will have to be initially imported. The tracks of the 3d printer will be moved and placed according to needs. Any number of other structures (e.g. landing pads for airborn transports) can also be designed and produced, compatible with the maximum printing volume of the printer (approximately 12 meters wide and 10 high, while lengths are only limited by the track length. Regolith concrete is supplied through a hose with a specially designed tanker, moved by a rover not represented in the model (they are inside the Hangars! ;) )
These printed domes will become the base, and feature an expandable-module basic structure, that will initially include different outer designs:
A) Mining Center (imported).
The initial mining unit, for extraction and industrial manufacturing. This is made of metal and built to standards compatible with the need to transport it in place. Eventually a larger setup will be 3D-built to replace it, for higher extraction/production levels.
B) The 3D-printed basic domes.
These are approximately 10 meters in diameter, and can be re-configured internally to be adapted to different requirements. The dome shell will provide protection from radiation and the harsh Martian environment (e.g. dust storms).
Each dome is equipped with externals solar panels for energy production.
The large ducts converging on the top are for ventilation, the smaller ones protects pipes and cabling. Each dome is equipped with exhaust and vents, and can be completely isolated in case of accident. The door are all airtight and each one, in combination with a connection corridor, forms an airlock.
With time, the domes will be made into:
The living quarters, where the astronauts live.
Research labs, for scientists to work/carry on their studies
A Communications unit, where communication with Earth goes on.
Industrial/Manufacturing Units, where raw materials from the mining building will be refined and assembled into what is needed.
Greenhouses/fisheries also use the basic dome. The are all indoor, with artificial lights, where food and oxygen is produced, using the very efficient hydroponic growing system. The hydroponic growth tanks are directly printed in concrete, as well as fish tanks for protein production.
A medical unit will be included, (initially as part of the research building), where people would go to get treatment.
C) Hangars.
A separate Dome configuration will be used to construct the Hangars, including garages where the rovers are kept, bigger open spaces for larger industrial products, and access to outside with transport or larger items.
D) Connector Corridors.
Each unit connects to a maximum of four more with standardized airtight corridors, which have an airlock in case there is a loss of pressure.
The space between the Domes works as external Storage areas, and can be accessed from the connectors, through air-tight docks.
The units are made to make the base as simple as possible to build, and later expand.
Energy is collected with solar panels, and there are panels on each dome (and on the original mining unit, installed on after they are constructed.
Eventually, as the base expands and energy requirements increase, Solar farms, geothermal stations or possibly nuclear stations will have to be installed
3D MODEL CHARACTERISTICS:
All units were designed with Sketchup, the size of the printable objects is such that they can be printed using a small (10cmx10cmx10cm) printer.
All the Stl files have been checked for errors and they can be successfully sliced with repetier/Slicer without errors. Since the models are small and there are some detailed parts, high resolution printing is advisable.
There is some minor bridging, but all files print without support, with the possible and notable exception of the 3D Printer Unit, in which the "X arm" is a long, thin beam. This might need support, depending on the printer used. The nozzle rests on the half-made dome, so that should help a bit.
EDIT: replaced the connector unit, with improved sizing that allow better fitting. it has a snap-off ledge to support the base of the protruding bit .
i noticed the new connector stl file loaded is upside down. you need to turn it 180 to print