Risk of contamination

Lehner and his team have calculated how much iron one unmanned capsule with a 1400 litre reactor could produce: about 350 kilograms per year. “After 3.3 years, it would produce more iron than can fit inside the capsule”, he says. "By sending several of these unmanned modules to Mars, we can produce a good amount of iron in a few years’ time."

The PhD candidate has also considered the storage of the 3D printed material. "We want to prevent our bacteria from contaminating the planet, since that could hinder the search for life on Mars." The solution? An inflatable sealed chamber attached to one side of the capsule. The material can be stored safely in this protected space.