SpaceFactory

02/18/2020

When we first started to set up our equipment outdoors, we were curious to understand how our material would handle the chilly environment of the Northeast.

Our team had to work around many elemental challenges from rain, snow, wind and below freezing temperatures. Along the way, our versatile crew of engineers and architects developed and implemented strategies that would allow MOBI to print in conditions typically not suited for Earthly robots.

Check out this video of MOBI printing in 40 degree weather!

02/14/2020

Take a look inside our scale model of TERA and experience a better way of living on Earth.

Like MARSHA, TERA features a dual layer shell with the outer layer shielding the against physical hazards, while also keeping the inner layer warm and protected from changing weather.

The inner layer is designed so that no space goes to waste. Once you walk inside TERA, you can take in the cascading windows surrounding TERA as you climb the stairs towards the comfiest spot in TERA. Each part of TERA maximizes the space around it, blending together to create a luxe, futuristic home.

02/13/2020

People often ask, “Why are we trying to build on Mars? Why not focus our efforts solely on Earth?”

Our mission is to develop solutions that push construction technology beyond current thresholds so that we can live more sustainably on this planet. Those who’ve innovated for space have created what are now everyday items, such as camera phones, athletic shoes, and portable computers. TERA and MARSHA will, in the same way, help us develop advanced technologies that we’ve never imagined before – paving the way for a better way to live on Earth.

Our recyclable and sustainable material was developed for Mars, but it was proven to be twice as strong as concrete and far more sustainable. This discovery could change the construction industry’s reliance on concrete and lead to smarter, greener, and stronger buildings.

So when someone asks why we are aiming for Mars, we just reply, “To build a better way of living on Earth.”

02/12/2020

Building the world’s first 3D printed home made of space-grade material takes a versatile team of engineers, builders, and designers motivated to revolutionize the way we build and the impact we’ll have on our environment.

Chief Engineer James Earle leads our work in 3D printing, his expertise helping TERA maintain a minimally invasive presence on-site. Thanks to him and our team, everything we’re doing is designed to make construction more intelligent which will have a huge impact for building on Earth and beyond.

Want a TERA of your own? We’re giving select landowners the opportunity to build one (Click the link here https://www.aispacefactory.com/tera-pilot).

02/10/2020

That feeling when your work space gets snowed in…

But our team didn’t let the cold stop them from accomplishing our mission. To build TERAs in-situ in various environments, we need to understand how to work around environmental factors. After a series of tests and adjustments, we have successfully tested prints in weather as low as 40°(F), an incredibly daunting task that the crew accomplished in 3 months.

Every challenge we face just inspires us to push past barriers- surpassing the limitations that could circumvent our progress. There are many unique climates in which we’re looking to print TERA. Do you know anyone who has a plot of land and wants to invest in our mission? Send them the link https://www.aispacefactory.com/tera-pilot to be part of our Pilot Program.

02/07/2020

Refining MOBI’s technology before printing TERA in cold temperatures has been an informative challenge.

Winter has been a catalyst for the development of technologies that can construct buildings autonomously through the rain, snow and freezing cold. The wet Northeast climate has certainly tried to put a damper on our team, but we aren’t prepared to throw in the towel. Our engineering, design and architecture teams collaborated to create and test out a number of solutions to work around the environment of Upstate New York – a first within the industry.

Interested in owning a TERA yourself? We’re giving select landowners the opportunity to build one (Click the link to the apply https://www.aispacefactory.com/tera-pilot)

02/06/2020

Check out our latest feature in ArchDaily highlighting MARSHA as a project that is pushing the boundaries of design and leading the charge to the future of living on Mars.

Explore architecture and design created on the new space race to Mars.

02/05/2020

One of the unique challenges of building TERA has been creating a process that can be done through autonomous robotics.

Our goal for MARSHA is to send robots ahead of the astronauts so that the structure could be 3D printed and ready for its inhabitants as soon as they arrive.

But, before we get to that point, we have to train our AI in various climates so that it can auto-adjust to the elements. Each challenge has enabled us to advance our technology beyond what’s capable in modern construction – working with and around the environment with minimal changes to the surrounding landscape.

02/03/2020

We’re almost a full month into 2020 and the team is finishing up resiliency tests for the biggest obstacle to 3D printing in-situ: weather.

While temperatures decreased, our team faced new challenges: the very quality that makes our material twice as strong as concrete and far more sustainable is the same quality that makes the material temperature sensitive.

Weather is one of the most unpredictable factors in resiliency tests, which is why so many researchers and companies have failed to execute 3D printing tests outside, especially in shifting environments like that of the Northeast. Being the first to print outdoors in this climate (something absolutely crucial for sustainable, in-situ resource mobilization), means not only pushing 3D printing technology beyond what is currently possible; it means creating the first-ever pipeline for the development of technologies that can autonomously print in a variety of climates.

With the TERA Pilot Program, we’re going to add a variety of other climate zones to our pipeline, taking this technology beyond the threshold of what’s possible in sustainable construction on and off this Planet. (Click the link https://www.aispacefactory.com/tera-pilot for more info about our Pilot Program!)

01/31/2020

Rain, snow and wind have pushed our technology beyond the threshold of what’s been possible in construction and 3D printing.

Printing through the elements is key for autonomous in-situ resource mobilization (ISRU) on and off Earth. While printing on Mars may not come with rain or snow storms, we’ll have to account for other unique challenges such as dust storms, the strongest winds topping at 60 miles per hour (about 96 km/h). On Earth, remote locations and extreme climates where homes are desperately needed pose additional elemental hurdles. We’re looking to build in locations that would allow us to continue resiliency testing in other ways - whether it’s an off-grid environment, has hail storms, or exists in a harsh environment like a hurricane zone or the arctic - to push our technology further.

Know anyone who has a plot of land and wants to invest in our mission? Send them this link https://www.aispacefactory.com/tera-pilot to be part of our Pilot Program.

01/29/2020

The NASA 3D Print Habitat Competition began with a call-to-action to the world to submit architectural designs that we could make on Mars.

This call-to-action inspired our team to assemble and bring to life a home built autonomously that could sustain a comfortable life for our astronauts.

Mars will signal a new journey for humanity.

01/28/2020

The future of multi-planetary living is dependent on plans that account for resource availability, environmental hazards, and ethical considerations.

Where we settle on Mars is just as important as how we’ll live on Mars. The right location will make a huge difference in the way we’ll collect raw materials and shape the direction of human life. Plans will need to ensure we’re optimally placed to extract ice from the poles, utilize minerals such as the basalt used in our 3D printed habitats, and harvest gases such as carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen to create life support systems.