Construction on the Moon or Mars will require methods far removed from the familiar terrestrial job site. Reduced gravity, extreme temperature swings, and abrasive regolith present challenges that demand lightweight, robust excavation systems and autonomous, large-scale fabrication equipment capable of operating without direct astronaut intervention. As part of the Artemis program, NASA has outlined a set of core surface elements to enable a sustained lunar presence, prioritizing mobility to expand exploration range and scientific output. These elements include a lunar terrain vehicle, a habitable mobility platform akin to a lunar RV, and a fixed surface habitat—all targeted for deployment before the decade’s end.
Central to these ambitions is advanced manufacturing, one of NASA’s five “industries of the future” identified to support deep space exploration and deliver benefits on Earth. This includes technologies to locate and utilize in-situ resources—such as lunar regolith or Martian soil—to fabricate infrastructure directly on site. NASA’s collaboration with ICON, an Austin-based construction technology firm, exemplifies this approach. ICON has already demonstrated large-scale 3D printing of homes and community structures on Earth, and its participation in NASA’s 3D Printed Habitat Challenge showcased methods potentially adaptable to extraterrestrial environments.
The partnership falls under NASA’s Moon to Mars Autonomous Construction Technologies (MMPACT) project, which aims to develop space-based construction capabilities for long-duration missions. SEArch+ and other collaborators contribute design and engineering expertise to the effort. “To be successful in our future missions, we have to invest in new, cutting-edge technologies today,” said Niki Werkheiser, NASA’s Game Changing Development program executive. Werkheiser emphasized that near-term R&D is essential to expand building capabilities on other worlds when the opportunity arises.
The U.S. Air Force has also taken interest, awarding ICON a dual-use Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to advance 3D printing of livable and workable structures. NASA contributed funding to the contract, which will investigate commonalities between Earth-based and off-Earth applications. ICON is investing its own resources as well. “Joining forces and cost-sharing among multiple government agencies allows us to accelerate the development timeline and bring the core capabilities that we have a common interest in to fruition sooner,” Werkheiser noted. “Together, we will help mature technologies that will have benefits for humanity – on Earth and in space.”
At NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, ICON will work with agency engineers to test lunar soil simulant using various processing and additive manufacturing techniques. The goal is to raise the technology readiness level and validate systems capable of large-scale 3D printing in extraterrestrial conditions. “We want to increase the technology readiness level and test systems to prove it would be feasible to develop a large-scale 3D printer that could build infrastructure on the Moon or Mars,” said Corky Clinton, associate director of Marshall’s Science and Technology Office. Insights from these tests will guide the design and demonstration of prototype components for a full-scale planetary construction system.
Depending on results, NASA may provide ICON with additional funding and consider an in-situ demonstration on the lunar surface. Jason Ballard, ICON’s co-founder and CEO, stated, “From the very founding of ICON, we’ve been thinking about off-world construction. I am confident that learning to build on other worlds will also provide the necessary breakthroughs to solve housing challenges we face on this world. These are mutually reinforcing endeavors. Sometimes, for the biggest problems, it becomes necessary to look up at the sky and not only down at our feet.”
The SBIR award builds on ICON’s commercial work and its Phase 3 performance in NASA’s 3D Printed Habitat Challenge, where it partnered with the Colorado School of Mines. Their team earned recognition for producing a 3D-printed structure sample that maintained a water seal under testing. “It is rewarding to see past NASA challenge competitors go on to work with the government in other ways,” said Amy Kaminski, NASA’s program executive for prizes and challenges. “It shows our approach of reaching out to groups outside of the traditional aerospace sector to solve challenges facing us in space and on Earth can result in unique collaborations to further NASA’s technology development efforts.”