From the Article

>“In order to explore other worlds, we need innovative new technologies adapted to those environments and our exploration needs,” Niki Werkheiser, a director at NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, said in a statement.
>
>The grant is a continuation of an existing partnership to develop construction methods that allow infrastructure to be built from lunar or Martian soil, according to NASA.
>
>NASA is trying to scale up its base construction technology 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 of NASA’s Marshall Space flight center in Huntsville, Ala., when ICON received its first 2020 grant.

I'm ok with this as long as it's only scientists going. The moment billionaires start building spaces bases and moon mansions.....hell no.

U cant make ur riches by fuckin up the planet then jump ship. I think we need to send a clear message to the wealthy futurist megalomaniac that wanna flee the planet. First ultrarich tech bro that plans to build a residential non terrestrial building project, shoot that rocket and every asshole inside right out of the sky. Ur not gonna spend all that money to leave earth in ruins to escape when it could be spent fixing things here. I dont care if it takes a terrorist attack, partnerships with rogue nations, or even building a diy surface to air that will take down a SpaceX or bozo dick rocket. If it requires a kickstarter or whatever it takes, I dunno, I dont really have any prior job experience with being a terrorist or leader of a supervillain group, but no matter what it takes, I'll die before I see them make a clean getaway after destroying our planet.

The following submission statement was provided by /u/Gari_305:

From the Article

>“In order to explore other worlds, we need innovative new technologies adapted to those environments and our exploration needs,” Niki Werkheiser, a director at NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, said in a statement.
>
>The grant is a continuation of an existing partnership to develop construction methods that allow infrastructure to be built from lunar or Martian soil, according to NASA.
>
>NASA is trying to scale up its base construction technology 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 of NASA’s Marshall Space flight center in Huntsville, Ala., when ICON received its first 2020 grant.

Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/z8q3gd/texas_company_wins_grant_to_3dprint_moon_bases/iycn7xh/

Man... just stop

No one is leaving earth to go live on a rock. The moon is going to be a mine

>I'm ok with this as long as it's only scientists going. The moment billionaires start building spaces bases and moon mansions.....hell no.

Sorry to burst your bubble there but yeah u/18LJ the moon is going to be mined to high heaven because trillions in profits are at stake.

It will be a military outpost for China & the US and maybe Russia if they get their head out of their ass(doubtful)

That hurt my eyes to read.

Even then it will pretty strictly be a resource grab not some fat cat hide out.

It will also have strategic and military applications. But the main idea is a return on investment, yknow econ 101

Any word on 3-D printing homes for the homeless using recyclable materials?

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Better the moon than the earth

True especially since Helium 3 is on the moon which when mined can be used to give us Fusion Energy as seen here

>Of these, helium‑3 represents the most significant potential in the field of energy. This non-radioactive isotope is an ideal fuel for the operation of a fusion reactor; it consists of fusing helium‑3 with deuterium, with the advantage of not producing neutrons.

And since there are tones on the Moon we're looking at Fusion energy for tens of thousands of years

China Knows this as seen here

As do we, so yeah you're right better there on the Moon than here on earth.

The race has begun

Hell no! I want to take a trip to the moon one day and look out at earth from my hotel window.

We're whalers on the moon,

We carry a harpoon,

For they ain't no whales

So we tell tall tales

And sing our whaling tune.

What thickness walls and roof are required to shield the inhabitants from the space radiation? Wouldn't it be better to be underground?

When are we getting moon buggy battles? Good ol' earth warfare is getting stale.....

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This sounds like an excellent use of NASA's funds. Focus on this sort of thing and hand off the transport/"trucking" side to private space companies.

Another person who thinks you can somehow "destroy" a dead, airless rock.

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They watched Moonfall and it really spoke to them.

Lol a moon base wouldn’t last 6 months without constant resupply missions from earth

That doesn't sound like it would provide a good return to investors... /s

That’s my biggest fear with Musk and his mission to Mars. I just know it will end up being a colony for billionaires to escape a dying earth.

a lot of my comments are deleted for being too short so i am writing a lot of iller before o get it my efficient and concise point: scale models right?

Every billionaire needs 10,000 serfs so there's still hope for some of us!

I've seen proposals that build in lava tubes. Some ice on the bottom, light enters from the top, you can use mirrors for additional light, and protected on all sides but 1 from radiation.

Underground is trickier, will need lots of drilling and boring. Lava tubes are annoying not flat or level. It will happen but not until the surface is established.

What is useful though is that the surface is covered in regoilth. The company that can viably turn regoilth into cement on the moon is going to make bank. Cement is a very good shield against radiation.

Thanks to NIMBY that'll never happen

I'd love to hear the logic that you use to reach that conclusion that billionaires would find Mars a more attractive place to live than Earth

The problem with 3D printing homes is the framing of the house is one of the cheaper parts of the process. Electrical, plumbing and finish work is where the real expenses occur. 3D printing doesn't solve any of that. That is why the 3d printed houses are still average price at best and more expensive at worst. Not to mention technology like this tends to start as a novelty for the wealthy while they pay down the initial investment.

Grant? Would have expected them to do this as a contract so they actually had to deliver. They aren't the same thing.

I really hope you're 12-14 years old and not a fully-realized product of the American education system.