NASA Announces Finalists in Competition to Build Shelters On Mars

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced on Thursday the three final teams who will compete for the privilege of completing a project tasking them with building shelters that will make life habitable on Mars and the moon.

NASA, on Thursday, named the top three finalists in its 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge, CNN reported Monday. Three teams were selected out of the remaining 11 that had been tasked with creating designs for structures that would allow humans to feasibility live for some time period on Mars, the moon and elsewhere, according to Fox News.

The three teams — SEArch+/Apis Cor, Zoperhous and Mars Incubator — split a $100,000 prize, Fox reported.

The challenge began in 2015, Fox reported.

The teams will compete in a final round in May and will be tasked with 3D-printing their models. The winner will receive $800,000.

The final competitions come after President Donald Trump signed Space Policy Directive 1 in 2017. The directive promised to “refocus America’s space program on human exploration and discovery.” Trump also authorized NASA to “lead an innovative space exploration program to send American astronauts back to the moon, and eventually Mars.”

NASA came under fire after it canceled what was supposed to be the first ever all-female space walk on March 29 due to a shortage of spacesuits sized for women.