AAKA Space Studio builds Asia's 1st 3D Mars radiation shield
Ahmedabad's AAKA Space Studio has created Asia's first 3-D-printed radiation shield for Mars, tested in a simulated space mission.
The main goal? Protect future astronauts from harsh cosmic rays on the Red Planet, using materials that could actually be found there, instead of hauling them all the way from Earth.
Salem olivine and binders mimic cement
To mimic Martian building, the team used olivine-rich material sourced from ultramafic complexes in Salem, Tamil Nadu, and special binders designed to mimic the behavior of cement on Mars.
This not only keeps astronauts safer but also makes missions cheaper and more sustainable.
The project brought together AAKA Space Studio, MiCoB, and Government Arts College, showing off some serious teamwork (and cool robot 3-D printing tech) as India steps up in space innovation.