A Martian pyramid, a modular beehive and a three-tiered Acropolis have made the final cut in the MakerBot Mars Base Challenge.

Run by Thingiverse and launched in conjunction with the 3D printer maker and Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the challenge has been open since 30 May and clocked up 227 applications. The three winning entries will each be awarded a MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer in order to help them fully explore their designs for Martian abodes.

The challenge brief asked entrants to take into account the extreme weather, radiation levels, lack of oxygen and dust storms when designing their Martian shelters. And although the applicants did not always nail the science, their designs have a novelty we've not seen since Nasa's 1970s space station and scooter designs.

The Thingiverse community appears to have been hugely supportive, printing out the designs themselves and offering handy hints in the comment section beneath each entry. The odd one points out how each design would immediately be flattened or sucked into oblivion if actually installed on Mars -- all valid points. But as one designer, Noah Hornberger, points out: "A toy car does not need fuel because it runs on the imagination of the child who drives it around. So it seems to me that I'm driving my toy car at full speed and you are here telling me what kind of fuel and oil it needs to run. I would rather leave the physics to the right people."

Nasa has become involved in such a project for just that reason. To ensure it's not just the mathematicians and engineers that have an interest or a say in our Martian future. If we're going to move to Mars one day, or send people on a one-way mission to pave the way for us, we should probably all be showing some interest, no matter our levels of space geology knowledge.

The Queen B

The modular "apartment fortress" comes with all the mod cons and home comforts you might expect on Earth -- a kitchen, two bathrooms, a garden. Oh yeah, and a 3D print lab and decompression room. "I have extrapolated on the idea of a fully functional apartment on Mars with all the modern amenities fitted inside 16-foot-diameter hexagons," says creator Noah Hornberger. "I think that to present Mars life to people and actually make it appealing to the public it needs to feel like home and reflect the lifestyle trends of Earth living."

He chose a flat-panelled, low-level design that would be cheap and easy to build -- at least relatively so in the harsh environment -- and allow for less heat energy to be lost. The hexagon shape was chosen for its durability and ability to form modular designs.

He wants to use depleted uranium to engineer laminated panels that protect us from the elements -- it needs to be sandwiched between other materials to make it safe. By itself, it's obviously incredibly dangerous for humans, so there are some kinks to be worked out here.

An exothermic chemical reactor will be used to heat an underground water container, which will provide heat for the basecamp. Exess steam could also power generators to supplement solar power.

The Martian Pyramid

This sturdy looking number hopes to withstand many a dust storm on the Red Planet. Creator Valcrow says: "This design focuses on looping essential systems into as many multi-functional roles as possible to ensure that the very limited resources are used and reused as much as possible." This includes food created through a sustainable aquaponics system which would sit at the top of the pyramid, where it can get some light.

A mirror-based series of solar panels will be responsible for collecting energy, with a nuclear generator for backup, and water would be stored near the main power centre so that it heats up. The whole thing is inspired by the Pyramid of Giza, but unlike that beauty it can be reconfigured for science or engineering tasks and experiments. Taking into account that atmosphere is more about the inside, than out, the creator adds: "High traffic rooms all have ample natural Martian light to help with the crews extended isolation and confinement."

The Mars Acropolis

With more than a hint of Metropolis about it, this dark design blends materials used here on Earth to create a classic futurist design. Concrete, steel and Martian soil help form the outer wall that protects the population. Carbon fibre, stainless steel, aluminium and titanium form the main body.

"The structure serves as a mass research facility, to explore and develop means for additional colonisation of the planet," says designer Chris Starr. Three greenhouses contain our vegetation and help filter our air and produce oxygen, and there are decompression chambers at the entrance. On level two, you can land and park your shuttles before entering the living quarters and labs, while level three acts as the nerve centre, with flight operators and observation posts. It's joined by a huge water reservoir that flows to the first level for purification. "Due to the water vapour contained in the Martian atmosphere, that vapour can be harnessed into usable liquid water, where the condensation is collected from the water vapour, which is filtered back into the reservoir," says Starr.


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