Is this what a house on MARS will look like? SIX-sided rooms in a honeycomb shaped house (but they've still got two beds and two bathrooms)
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We might not be quite ready to send humans to Mars, but that hasn't stopped some bright minds coming up with ideas for what people might live in when they arrive.
In a competition for Nasa called the 'Mars Base Challenge', innovators were tasked with designing living space for future astronauts.
The winning design is one that intends to give explorers two bedrooms, two bathrooms and other six-sided rooms in a 'honeycomb' shape.
Michigan-based designer has won a competition to design a home for future astronauts to live in on Mars with his 'Queen B' 3D printed design for a contest run by Nasa and Makerbot
The competition was carried out by Nasa in alongside 3D-printing company MakerBot.
It took place on Thingiverse, a website where people can share their designs for 3D printers.
Contestants were tasked with designing their own abode using a 3D printer that future astronauts might one day live inside.
The winning design was by Noah Hornberg from Michigan.
Nasa asked entrants to design houses that could tackle Mars' extremely cold temperature, high radiation levels, lack of oxygen and frequent dust storms.
'My solution is to use the tessellating hexagon due to its compactness and modular potential,' Mr Hornberg wrote in his entry.
Mr Hornberg's design includes different rooms for people to use such as bedrooms and even a garden
Mr Hornberg says he chose the hexagon shape because it was less likely to break over time than squares
The hexagonal shape also allowed a number of amenities to be fitted into the separate rooms
THE WEATHER ON MARS
Most of the time, Mars is clear, dry, cold, and clear. Clouds are very small, wispy and formed by carbon dioxide ice.
It never rains on Mars because of the planet has a thin atmosphere and lacks a magnetic shield, the the one that cover Earth.
Temperatures at the equator during the day can be as warm as 20°C. But at night, temperatures can drop to -90°C.
This dramatic difference in temperature can create huge dust storms that can cover the entire planet for weeks.
The maximum wind speeds on Mars recorded by the Viking Landers in the 1970's were about 30 meters per second (60 mph) with an average of 10 m/s (20 mph).
'I have extrapolated on the idea of a fully functional apartment on Mars with all the modern amenities fit inside 16ft (5 metre) diameter hexagons.
'I think that to present Mars life to people and actually make it appealing to the public, it needs to feel like home and reflect the lifestyle trends of Earth living.'
He says his design, without any appendages sticking out, would be more practical for long-term living.
And a hexagonal shape would also be less likely to distort or rupture under pressure than other shapes, such as a square.
To stay warm, meanwhile, a large subterranean container would hold water to be heated in an underground electric heater.
This would keep the bottom of the house heated, while the creation of steam would allow for steam-powered generators for energy.
To stay warm, meanwhile, a large subterranean container would hold water to be heated in an underground electric heater. This would keep the bottom of the house warm, while the creation of steam would allow for steam-powered generators
In total the competition had 228 submissions, with first place winning a MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D printer.
Second place went to the Martian Pyramid from user Valcrow, who favoured the triangular shape.
Their home was designed around sustainability and had a closed aquaponics system to grow food.
The Mars Acropolis meanwhile, from project and design engineer Chris Starr, was a more complicated design that would have three greenhouses, a water tower to collect vapour from the atmosphere and even a runway.
Second place went to the Martian Pyramid (illustration shown) from user Valcrow, who favoured the triangular shape. Their home was designed around sustainability and had a closed aquaponics system to grow food
The Mars Acropolis (shown) from project and design engineer Chris Starr was a rather more complicated design that would have three greenhouses and a water tower to collect vapour from the atmosphere
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