California’s Mojave Desert will soon be acting as a stand-in for the surface of Mars. The Mars Design Project will be using the location to test 3D printed designs for potential settlements. “It is not enough to just travel to Mars and survive,” said project creator Vera Mulyani. “Now we must develop a way in which we can sustainably live and love on Mars.” But it’s not just about designing something that looks cool. Designers will have to take into account the difference of gravity on the Red Planet as well as the Project’s stipulation that the structure start out as a base that can accommodate four people with the ultimate goal of establishing a city with a population of 1,000.
Though we don’t have a Martian travel guide (yet) you can find everything you need to know about exploring the Mars’s stand-in desert with the Mojave Travel Guide.
For more on the Mars City Design Challenge visit Mars City Design.