2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Understand the challenges faced colonising other planets.
• Be able to create simple 3D structures, using code, in Minecraft.
• Be able to create complex 3D structures, using code, in Minecraft.
Keywords: Regolith, swarm robotics, colonisation, habitation, algorithm,
repetition.
3. COLONISING MARS
The pathway to colonising Mars is not as simple as it may first
appear. You must consider; life support, habitation, the available
resources, transport systems, construction systems and much more.
In 2014/2015 NASA launched the Mars “On-site Habitation
Challenge” to addresses the issues of how we will create habitation
and pressurised living environments on Mars from the available
natural resources.
4. COLONISING MARS
Many of the proposed designs for the “On-site Habitation Challenge”
utilised 3D printing to construct their builds. As transporting all the raw
materials from Earth to Mars is not a viable option, the teams had to look
at alternatives.
One of these alternatives was harvesting the Martian regolith (The planet’s
surface layers) and using the raw materials for 3D printed construction.
The most effective way to harvest, collect, process, transport and print
material in this way is to use a technique called swarm robotics.
The benefit of swarm robotics is that swarms of robots can be deployed to
construct building from the Martian regolith in advance of humans landing
on Mars.
5. WINNER OF NASA'S 3D-PRINTED MARS HABITAT CHALLENGE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPYBIafS-_8
7. CHALLENGE – MISSION TO MARS
Challenge: Re-program your robot so that it is able to complete its mission. Good luck!
A solar flare has wiped the memory of all the robots on Mars meaning that they are unable to complete their primary
mission to build habitats on Mars ready for the first human settlers.
8. VOCABULARY
Regolith: A regolith is a layer of loose material such as dust, soil, and broken rock which covers a planet’s
surface.
3D printing: The process of making a physical object from a three-dimensional digital model, typically by laying
down many thin layers of a material in succession.
Swarm robotics: Swarm robotics is the use of large numbers of autonomous robots to accomplish a task.
Algorithm: A sequence of instructions to make something happen.
Colonisation: The act of settling in another place. In the context of this lesson, colonisation means setting up
home on Mars.
Habitation: A habitat is a home environment for plants and animals or other organisms. In the context of this
lesson, habitation refers to where the human colonists will live on Mars.
