AAKA SPACE and MiCoB Achieve Asia’s First 3D-Printed Martian Regolith Radiation Shield

AAKA Space, designing human-centric mission-ready habitats, led by Aastha Jhala and the team, in collaboration with MiCoB, provider of High-performance and customized Construction 3D Printing solutions, led by Shashank Shekhar and the team, has successfully designed and 3D-printed Asia’s first Martian Regolith Radiation Shield using Mars simulant materials. The structure will be tested in the world’s largest analog mission, marking India’s debut in global extraterrestrial habitat simulation, highlighting the potential of using local resources for construction beyond Earth.

The radiation shield uses olivine, a mineral abundant in Martian regolith, sourced from the Chalk Hills ultramafic complex in Salem, Tamil Nadu. The dunite rock was pulverized and blended with lime to form an extrusion-ready slurry, which was then used in a concrete FDM 3D printing process.

Multiple molds were printed to evaluate the properties of the new mixture. For Venugopal, accurately replicating Martian conditions was critical, ensuring the material reflects real regolith challenges and provides reliable data for future habitat construction.

Cutting-Edge Design for Load-Bearing and Radiation Shielding

The Martian Regolith Radiation Shield features a load-bearing dome, measuring 2m at the base, 0.6m at the top, and 2.1m in height. Printed as modular panels, the structure can be assembled on-site using regolith simulant fillers, enabling scalable extraterrestrial construction.

The dome shape is optimized for structural strength, uniform load distribution, and reflectivity, key to protection against Martian environmental hazards. Once assembled, it serves both as structural support and a radiation shield for future habitats.

The structure will also host microgreens, allowing researchers to study radiation and thermal effects, with results compared to lab-grown samples to evaluate shielding performance.

For Shashank, the project marks a significant technical milestone, combining in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) materials with precise 3D printing to advance large-scale regolith-based space construction in India.

For Aastha Jhala, testing the shield in the world’s largest analog mission marks a major milestone for India and Asia, enabling realistic evaluation in controlled extraterrestrial conditions and advancing the path toward autonomous habitat construction on Mars.

First Large-Scale 3D Printing of Mars Regolith Simulant in India

This initiative marks India’s first large-scale 3D printing using Martian regolith simulant, offering key insights into material behavior, structural integrity, and ISRU feasibility for future lunar and Martian missions.

By leveraging local resources and testing in the world’s largest analog mission, the effort highlights India’s growing role in global space exploration. The project represents a significant step toward autonomous habitat construction, reducing reliance on Earth-supplied payloads while validating advanced 3D-printing techniques for space.