SEArch+ and Apis Cor have won first place in the Virtual Construction level of NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Centennial Challenge, seeking to create sustainable shelters suitable for the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Using resources available on-site in these locations, the female-led, New York-based space research and design practice proposed the MARS X HOUSE, offering a robust, durable 3D-printed habitat using autonomous robotics.

Led by SEArch+ co-founder Melodie Yashar, the scheme employs evidence-based design for the form and constructability of the future habitat, intended for a crew of four to live and work on Mars for one Earth year. The habitat is designed to exceed radiation standards in order to ensure human health while connecting the crew with natural light and views of the Martian landscape.

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Winning this latest phase of NASA’s Habitat Challenge is an incredible honor for all of us at SEArch+. We’re thrilled and humbled by the support from NASA and congratulate the other winning teams in our shared efforts to create human-centered design concepts for Mars and beyond.

-Melodie Yashar, Co-Founder, SEArch+

A rare female-led and owned firm within the aerospace industry, SEArch+ has been working for over a decade with NASA’s Johnson Space Center Human Habitability Division, Langley Research Center, and United Technologies Aerospace Division to develop ideas for future human habitation beyond earth. Meanwhile, Apis Cor specializes in 3D-printing construction capable of fabricating whole buildings completely off-site.

The teams competing in NASA’s 3d-Printed Habitat Challenge are undergoing a staged competition process, with SEArch+ so far achieving first place in Construction Levels 1 and 2, and fourth place in Virtual Design Level 1. The latest stage required teams to create a full-scale habitat using 3D modeling software and BIM, building upon an earlier virtual modeling stage. Points were awarded based on architectural layout, efficient use of interior space, 3D printing scalability, and constructability of the habitat.

Eleven team entries were scored and awarded points, with the top three teams being SEArch+/Apis Cor (first place), Zopherus (second place) and Mars Incubator (third place). The video submissions for the second and third place teams can be found below.