We were pleased to receive a good number of #MakerBotMars challenge entries almost as soon as we announced it. But then, on the last day of the challenge, we were completely blown away as we watched the number of entries double, leaving us with loads of fascinating text to read, diagrams to analyze, and creative designs to print.
Many entries went above and beyond the stated scope of the challenge, expanding into small worlds with many individual pieces. It was an embarrassment of 3D printed riches. The enthusiasm behind the contributions was palpable, and inspiring.
Once we finished our test prints, we sent the results to our friends at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who used their expert knowledge and experience to help choose the winners. We’re happy to say that we fully agree with their input and we’re excited to award all of our winners with spools of MakerBot Filament and to give our first place winner a brand new MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer!
All participants deserve a round of applause for their hard work. And now, onto the winners:
First prize goes to NoahHornberger’s Queen B (Bioshielding) 2 Bedroom 2 Bath Mars Apartment. The design takes on the harsh Mars climate without sacrificing comfort. According to Noah, the unique hexagonal design minimizes the exposed surface area, making Queen B easy to build, replicate, and maintain on Mars.
Second prize goes to Valcrow’s Martian Pyramid. The pyramid design focuses on multi-function systems that ensure limited resources are never wasted and produces energy from a mirror-based solar collector.
Third prize goes to Cstarrman’s Mars Acropolis. It has a futuristic architectural design inspired by the ancient Greek Acropolis. The three tiered structure serves as a mass research facility, allowing visitors to explore and develop means for additional colonization of the planet.