Mars Greenhouse
Overview
BEAVER: Biosphere Engineered Architecture for Viable Extraterrestrial Residence
2019 NASA BIG Idea Challenge Finalist
Cambridge, MA & Hampton, VA
October 2018-August 2019
As part of NASA's 2019 BIG Idea Challenge, I worked with an interdisciplinary team of graduate and undergraduate students from MIT, Politecnico di Milano, and Politecnico di Torino to design and prototype BEAVER, a greenhouse for Mars. BEAVER is designed to be compatible with the existing Mars Ice Home. Utilizing an innovative spiral design and an inflatable, cylindrical structure to optimize mass and surface area for crop growth, BEAVER can support the nutritional and caloric requirements for 4 astronauts for 600 days, survive transport and the extreme Martian environment, and is composed solely of high TRL, redundant, dual-use components. I was responsible for the original CAD model in SketchUp and contributed to FEM analysis, the final renders in Rhino, and the prototypes.
Render of BEAVER (center left) with the Mars Ice Home
Render of greenhouse lower level
Render of greenhouse lower level
Design
I was part of the Architecture Group, designing BEAVER’s structure, creating renderings and animations in SketchUp and Rhino, and compiling the final 2-minute video submission. I also helped CAD and build the prototypes. Architecturally, BEAVER is noteworthy for its unique spiral design to optimize plant growth area. BEAVER was designed with aesthetics and ease of use in order to maximize benefits to astronauts. Astronauts can easily monitor crops, stroll next to the greenery, and relax in the mental health area at the top of the dome, which includes areas to run and lounge.
Jana Lukic
Sketch of deployed greenhouse
Jana Lukic
Sketch of stowed greenhouse
Jana Lukic
Sketch of greenhouse crosssection
Prototyping
We made three main prototypes, which we presented at the BIG Idea Challenge finals. The first was a modular 3D-printed model of the key components of the greenhouse. The second was a cardboard model demonstrating the storage and deployment of the spiral and its support structures. The third was an inflatable model of the outer shell of the greenhouse to demonstrate its storage and deployment.
3D-printed modular model of greenhouse
Compressed cardboard spiral
Expanded cardboard spiral
Compressed cardboard spiral support tube
Expanded cardboard spiral support tube
Plastic sheet cut to enable folding
Plastic strips bent to shape and melted to form an airtight seal
Inflating prototype
NASA BIG Idea Challenge Finals
I presented at the NASA BIG Idea Challenge finals at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA
BIG Idea Challenge
After the finals my team enjoyed the beach, where we could see ships from the Norfolk Naval Station
Eric Hinterman
My team was recognized as a finalist in the BIG Idea Challenge
BIG Idea Challenge
My team showed off our final 3D-printed model
BIG Idea Challenge
Other Presentations
In addition to the BIG Idea Forum (slides, video), I presented BEAVER to the Consulate-General of Japan at the Forum of U.S.-Japan Alliance in a New Space Age: Back to the Moon and as a poster at the International Conference on Environmental Systems (ICES), where I received a student poster award.
