14 DAY TRIAL // NASA wants to send astronauts to Mars, the Red Planet, within the next 15 years or so, and it so happens that it is reaching out to the public for ideas of how to build a space base there.
MakerBot is collaborating with NASA on this. The company (recently accused of IP theft, though that's neither here nor there) has launched the Mars Base Challenge.
In a nutshell, it's a design contest for everyone who thinks they can create a three-dimensional model for a base utilitarian and sturdy enough to “survive” and also be useful on Mars.
You have until June 12 to submit a model, and you'll have to take into account that the fourth planet from the sun can be really cold, and is constantly exposed to a lot of radiation.
Low oxygen levels are a problem too, and huge dust storms are also a dime a dozen there.
NASA and MakerBot figured that they don't need to be the only ones stretching their brains while trying to figure out a solution for all those issues, so they've initiated this design competition.
Four winners will be chosen on June 20, with the grand prize being a MakerBot Replicator 2 desktop 3D printer.
First place will get you three spools of MakerBot PLA filament, and a spot on Thingiverse for your base design.
Second and third places are similar, but they come with two and one spools of filament, respectively. Not much use if you don't own a 3D printer of your own, but then again this is a 3D printing and design competition.