Staring up at the Moon on a clear night during his first semester in college, Nicholas McGhee decided that his ultimate career trajectory might involve advancing space flight.
“For thousands of years we have looked to the sky,” McGhee said. “Most of the frontiers on Earth have been explored, but we have barely scratched the surface in space. The unknown is exciting.”
The New Haven entrepreneur, who launched the business Mars Incubator at downtown’s Make Haven, is already making headway.
Mars Incubator entered NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge this spring and won third place, a prize which came with $32,624. Entrants were asked to show the judges their plans for a habitat that would allow astronauts to survive on the Red Planet.
It is an adventure McGhee hopes to enjoy during his lifetime.
“I would love to go to Mars — sign me up,” McGhee said. “I am hopeful we will be to Mars by 2030.”
McGhee believes humanity will some day have colonies there.
“I think it is important for humans to colonize other bodies in our solar system,” he said. “My ambition is to explore and discover.”
When asked if he is worried about dying on such an adventure, McGhee laughed and said he is more worried about the perils of crossing the street in New Haven.
Living in close quarters doesn’t faze him, either. McGhee, who has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, is used to living in less than traditional spaces — he currently lives on a boat at City Point.
A house on Mars
Mars Incubator’s habitat for the contest uses only materials from Mars’ surface, such as basalt. It could house astronauts for up to a year on Mars. The team members considered everything astronauts will need to do while on a mission there — working, sleeping and eating — and allocated a space for each activity. They created duplicates of all key operations (heating and cooling, water and oxygen) for safety. In case a particular area failed, there is a backup, according to McGhee.
The design doesn’t have much in the way of windows for safety reasons, as windows are more susceptible to radiation and micro meteorites, according to McGhee. However, there is space in the habitat for astronauts to go where they could experience light and a view of the Martian landscape for short periods. This is the same area where astronauts could grow plants.
McGhee first heard about the competition while at an International Astronautical Congress (IAC) event. He left with the goal of competing, and he started a team in early 2018 which included engineers and a visual graphic designer, and later, an animator.
Their entry was due to NASA in January 2019. The team had to create a full-scale habitat design. NASA also wanted animation of the assembly process to show how it would be constructed over time.
Eleven team entries were scored and awarded points, based on architectural layout, programming, efficient use of interior space, and the 3D-printing scalability and constructability of the habitat, according to NASA. In late March Mars Incubator learned it had placed third in the competition.
The 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge concluded at an event in Peoria, Ill. from May 1 to 4. Earlier this month, NASA announced the final round of the 3D Printed Habitat Challenge went to a New York team, AI SpaceFactory, which won $500,000.
Mars Incubator did not compete in the Illinois “construction phase” of the competition. However, the company did get invited and while there, presented its model to local students. The team also demonstrated its design and showed a video, according to McGhee.
Monsi Roman, program manager for NASA’s Centennial Challenges, said in a press release that the competition involved “extremely hard work by bright, inventive minds who are helping us advance the technologies we need for a sustainable human presence on the Moon, and then on Mars.”
“We celebrate their vision, dedication and innovation in developing concepts that will not only further NASA’s deep-space goals, but also provide viable housing solutions right here on Earth,” Roman said.
According to NASA, the competition has attracted more than 60 teams, and NASA has awarded over $2 million in prize money.
While Mars Incubator didn’t get the top prize in this year’s competition, McGhee plans to invest some winnings toward advancing the Mars Incubator business. McGhee is currently the only full-time employee, but he is seeking additional funding to hire more staff.
“My ultimate goal is to use the money toward developing technology that will push forward human spaceflight,” McGhee said. “It is exciting to encourage students in STEM education. We also need to do outreach to gain support from the public.”
The prize money will go to fund more scientific work toward the goal of colonization of other planets. This includes research and education, the purchase of equipment and development of materials and construction techniques.
For more information about the 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge, click here.
Contact Michelle Tuccitto Sullo at msullo@newhavenbiz.com
