National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration

Tech Logic

LESSON SERIES

You Can’t Take It 

All With You

Additive Construction with Mobile Emplacement (ACME)

GRADES 6–12

STUDENT 

ACTIVITY GUIDE

1

Tech Logic

LESSON SERIES

You Can’t Take It 

All With You 

Additive Construction with Mobile Emplacement (ACME)

GRADES 6–12

STUDENT 

ACTIVITY GUIDE

INTRODUCTION

When early settlers first arrived in North America, and 

eventually moved west, they had to utilize local resources 

to build settlements and survive. Likewise, NASA’s 

Additive Construction with Mobile Emplacement project 

(ACME) is exploring how local, or in situ, resources 

can be used to build habitats and structures on other 

planets. NASA engineers and scientists are developing 

ways to prepare for human settlement on other planetary 

bodies, like the Moon and Mars, while limiting the 

amount of materials needed to be sent from Earth. 

One major challenge they face is determining the right 

combination of regolith and binder materials needed to 

create structures that are ready and safe for astronauts. 

Furthermore, NASA is exploring the use of autonomous 

systems to prepare basic structures and settlement needs 

on other planetary bodies. A small number of astronaut 

technicians could oversee these systems until the 

foundational work is complete, reducing the manpower 

needed and the burden on astronauts. 

Backpackers carry everything they need. Many American settlers brought tools and 

supplies by covered wagon. 

An artist’s depiction of a settlement on Mars.
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You Can’t Take It All With You Student Activity Guide

Background

Throughout history, explorers and settlers traveling long 

distances or for long periods of time could not take 

everything they needed with them. Instead, they had to 

rely on local resources in addition to what they carried. 

Using local, or in situ, resources allows explorers to carry 

less with them, which reduces weight and costs. This also 

allows explorers to better adapt to their new surroundings. 

NASA is looking at ways to use in situ resources when 

humans travel into space.

Every kilogram of material sent into space requires lots of 

fuel, takes up valuable cargo space, and usually needs to 

be replaced by more materials created and prepared on 

Earth. Once materials arrive in space, astronauts need to 

unpack and manage these materials. This is why reusability 

is crucial on the International Space Station and any other 

off-Earth location. Currently, astronauts on the space 

station use many Earth-based resources that need to be 

continuously replenished. Once used, the waste generated 

from these materials is packaged into a nonreusable cargo 

vessel and jettisoned from the space station to burn up in 

the atmosphere. 

The space station does have some capabilities to generate 

and recycle its own products. Water is collected and 

recycled using two different water recovery systems. 

In 2010, a Sabatier system was delivered to the space 

station, which takes “waste” hydrogen and carbon dioxide 

and produces water. The Sabatier process, developed 

by French chemist Paul Sebatier in the early 1900s, 

had previously been used in commercial and military 

applications, but its use in space travel has further reduced 

astronauts’ dependence on deliveries from Earth. This 

helps pave the way for farther space exploration as well 

as settlement on planets and moons that may not have a 

ready supply of water. 

For missions to other planetary bodies, such as the Moon 

and Mars, NASA will need to send even more materials 

into space. Therefore, more astronauts will be needed 

to handle these materials. Saving travel time is also an 

important factor when sending items to space. For 

example, if astronauts are living and working on Mars, it 

will take at least 6 months to get a spacecraft there from 

Earth—astronauts might not be able to wait that long! 

The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), developed for NASA by 

Bigelow Aerospace, is lifted into SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft for transport 

to the International Space Station. 

NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) 

and others are working on ways to address these 

challenges. STMD is developing technologies that allow 

NASA to use materials more efficiently and effectively, 

including using in situ resources on other planetary 

bodies. STMD is also exploring how to use and manipulate 

materials autonomously, reducing the manpower needed. 

Imagine a few astronauts traveling to Mars, setting up 

a system that can start building structures and other 

foundational parts of a settlement autonomously, and 

overseeing this system remotely as it prepares for future 

astronauts to arrive. This is what NASA is working on.

A Contour Crafting robot prints a road in front of a hangar for a lunar lander. 

Currently, there is a 3D printer on the space station, which 

allows astronauts to print materials—such as tools—when 

needed. The first tool printed aboard the space station 

was a ratchet wrench in 2014. The wrench was designed 
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You Can’t Take It All With You Student Activity Guide

on Earth and delivered to the space station as a file, ready 

for astronauts to print. You can find the wrench file, along 

with other NASA 3D models, here: https://nasa3d.arc.

nasa.gov/. 

STMD is taking 3D printing, also referred to as additive 

manufacturing, to new levels by creating larger printers 

for new uses. This includes developing techniques that 

utilize in situ resources, such as Martian regolith, lunar 

regolith, or Earth-based soils, to 2D or 3D print roads, 

landing pads, building structures, radiation shelters, 

and other objects off Earth. For Earth-based projects, 

islands such as Hawaii can reduce building costs by 

manufacturing buildings and other structural needs 

using in situ resources, instead of shipping materials to 

remote locations. 

STMD’s Additive Construction with Mobile Emplacement 

project has several goals, including investigating 

regolith and binder mixtures, demonstrating additive 

manufacturing for construction, analyzing materials for 

additive construction on other planets, and providing 

the first steps for using additive manufacturing in deep 

space missions.

The 3D printer on the space station allows astronauts to print materials when needed. The first ratchet wrench printed aboard the space station was 

designed on Earth, then sent as a file to the station and printed on the 3D printer in 2014.

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You Can’t Take It All With You Student Activity Guide

Activity 1: Utilizing In Situ Resources

For the first part of this activity, you will become 

a materials engineer. Using sand, glue, and water, 

representing in situ resources found on Mars, you will 

create building bricks that can be used to build a Martian 

structure. For the optional part of this activity, you will 

develop a new material (using the same ingredients listed 

above) that can be used to “3D print” a structure. 

Next, you will become a structural engineer as you 

design and build a Martian structure with your bricks 

and/or print the media you created. You can use a limited 

amount of “Earth-based materials” (wooden craft sticks 

and aluminum foil) to add strength and stability to your 

structure. Structures must include one door and one 

window. Structures will be tested for protective abilities 

by shining a light on the structures to check for leaks. 

Finally, you may be asked to calculate the square footage, 

perimeter, volume, or other aspects of their structure.

Note: This activity is messy! Cover tables with 

newspaper or tablecloths.

Materials Needed

 Student activity guide (1 per student)

 Play sand (approximately 2 cups per group)

 Mixed gravel (approximately 2 cups per group)

 Glue (approximately 1 cup per group)

 Water

 Bowls or cups (several per group) 

 Mixing spoons (several per group) 

 Measuring cups

 Ice cube trays, plastic or silicon (2 per group) and/or

 Petroleum jelly, cooking spray or plastic wrap to line 

ice cube trays (optional) 

 Aluminum foil (1 square foot per group) 

 Wooden craft sticks (several per group)

 Graph paper (1 sheet per group)

 Strong light, such as a flashlight or higher intensity 

desk light

 Scale for measuring mass (in grams)

 For advanced version of this activity, in which students 

create their own molds: Cardstock or other building 

material to create brick molds

 For optional 3D printing activity: Cake decorating 

bags and a variety of nozzles to simulate an in situ 

3D printer (one set per group). If conducting the 3D 

printing activity, it is suggested to add thickening 

agents to printing material (sand, gravel, glue) mixture 

such as cornstarch or flour that can help create a 

thicker, more easily “printed” material

Optional Literacy Component: Your teacher can instruct 

you to read a variety of stories about early American and 

western settlers and the materials they had to bring with 

them as they explored and/or settled in new lands.

Procedures

Engagement Activity

Consider what items you would take with you if you were 

going on vacation. How would the items you need change 

if you were staying in a hotel? What about camping in an 

RV? What if you were backpacking and needed to carry 

everything yourself?

How is this different from what early American and 

western settlers needed to take with them when they 

traveled to new lands? Furthermore, how is this different 

from what future space explorers will need to bring to 

other planetary bodies? 
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You Can’t Take It All With You Student Activity Guide

Part One: Materials Engineering

1. Mix together sand, glue, and water in order to create a 

dough-like material.

2. Record how much sand, glue, and water is used in 

materials engineering data sheet section of this student 

activity guide. 

3. Prepare ice cube trays by lining them with plastic wrap 

or coating them with cooking spray or petroleum jelly. 

Spoon the building mixture in to each well of one ice 

cube tray. Each well should be packed tightly in order 

to make the most compact bricks possible. 

Advanced version: Create custom molds of differing 

sizes for your bricks by using cardboard, cardstock, 

foam board or similar materials. Once completed, 

prepare your molds using plastic wrap and spoon the 

building mixture into the molds. Pack tightly. 

4. Set ice cube tray aside and allow to dry. 

5. Using the same mixing bowl, create a second batch 

of bricks, this time using both sand and gravel with a 

glue/water binder. Spoon this mixture into another 

prepared ice cube tray and pack tightly. 

6. Record how much of each material you used for the 

second set of bricks in your materials engineering log.

7. Set the ice cube tray aside and allow the bricks to dry. 

Drying time will depend on the amount of glue/water 

used, temperature of the room, etc.

NOTE: Most bricks will take at least 24 hours to dry. 

It is sometimes helpful to remove sand bricks from the 

trays when they are partially dry. It can also be helpful 

to set trays in direct sunlight—warmer environments 

can help speed up the process. However, be careful not 

to remove the bricks too early or they may fall apart.

8. Carefully remove the bricks from the ice cube tray. 

Following your teacher’s specific instructions, analyze 

the bricks created and record this on the data sheet on 

the following page.
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You Can’t Take It All With You Student Activity Guide

Materials Engineering Data Sheet

Materials/Amounts Used Data and Observations Analysis and Conclusions

Test Batch 1

Test Batch 2

Part Two: Structural Engineering

1. Once your Martian bricks are dry and ready for 

use, complete the Structural Design section of your 

activity guide. Work with your assigned group to 

design a structure. Include a detailed, labeled sketch 

of your design in the space provided in this student 

activity guide. Your group should decide on any other 

materials you want to use in your structure, such as 

aluminum foil and/or wooden craft sticks. Your design 

should include one door and one window. Carefully 

design your structure so as little light as possible 

penetrates the structure in order to best protect the 

astronauts inside. 

2. Using graph paper as a building surface, construct your 

Martian structure. No glue or other adhesives can be 

used to build your structures.

3. Once your structure is completed, trace the outline 

of your structure and record all measurements on the 

graph paper and/or in your structural engineering 

data sheet. As instructed by your teacher, complete 

all assigned calculations, including volume, square 

footage, perimeter, etc. Record all measurements in 

your data sheet. If design parameters were provided 

prior to construction, make sure your group complies 

with these design constraints.
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You Can’t Take It All With You Student Activity Guide

Structural Engineering: Design

Use the space below to draw a detailed design for your structure, be sure to comply with all assigned design parameters. 

Structural Engineering Data Sheet

Use the space below to record your structure’s measurements and complete all assigned calculations. 
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You Can’t Take It All With You Student Activity Guide

Quality Control Test and Evaluation

1. Test your Martian structure for quality of construction 

and ability to protect any astronauts inside by shining 

a bright light on the structure. Look for areas where 

the light shines through to the inside of the structure. 

2. Record the results of this quality control test and 

any observations about build quality and ideas for 

improvement. 

3. If time permits, you may make corrective changes to 

your structure and retest. Record all additional steps, 

observations, and results if you retest your structure. 

4. Share your findings and results with your class; your 

teacher will provide guidance on how best to complete 

this task.

Quality Control Test Data Sheet

Test Results and 

Observations

Suggested Improvements Analysis

Test 1

Test 2

Optional Activity

Have you ever watched a 3D printer extrude plastic? 

ACME is studying the feasibility of using in situ resources 

for additive manufacturing, commonly referred to as 3D 

printing, to build structures on other planetary bodies. 

For this activity, you will simulate 3D printing and develop 

a mixture of rock, sand, and binding material that can be 

extruded from a nozzle to build a structure. 

1. For this activity, cake decorating bags and nozzles will 

simulate 3D printers. Create another mixture using 

sand, rock (if desired), water, and glue. Keep in mind 

that this mixture will need to be extruded through a 

cake decorating bag and nozzle. Adding ingredients 

such as cornstarch or flour may help create a more 

paste-like recipe to help the extrusion process. 
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You Can’t Take It All With You Student Activity Guide

2. Using graph paper as a building surface, construct a 

structure (or part of a structure) by carefully extruding 

the sand mixture through the nozzle of the cake 

decorating bags. 

3. Once your “3D printed” structure is completed, 

collect all measurements and data as instructed by 

your teacher. Record your data in your Materials 

Engineering Data Sheet. 

Glossary

In Situ Resources: The collection, processing, storing, 

and use of materials encountered in the course of human 

or robotic space exploration that replaces materials that 

would otherwise be brought from Earth.

Regolith: Loose rock, dust, and sometimes soil that is 

found on top of the solid rock on a planet, moon, or other 

planetary body.

Binder: Any material or substance that is used to hold 

other materials together.

Materials Engineer: An engineer who uses and improves 

existing materials and develops new materials.

Structural Engineer: An engineer who focuses on the 

design and construction of structures (bridges, buildings, 

dams, etc.).

Sabatier Process: A process whereby hydrogen and 

carbon dioxide, under high temperatures and pressures, in 

the presence of a nickel catalyst, produces methane and 

water.

Additive Manufacturing: Also known as 3D printing, 

additive manufacturing builds a structure by adding 

material to a structure, layer by layer, until it is complete.

Materials Engineering Data Sheet: Print Material

Materials/Amounts Used Data and Observations Analysis and Conclusions

Print 

Material 

Mixture
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You Can’t Take It All With You Student Activity Guide

Activity 2: Building Structures with Additive Manufacturing

For this activity, you will work in groups to design and 

construct a building using 3D printing. As an added 

challenge, the structure can also be tested for “radiation 

shielding,” simulated by using a very strong flashlight or 

spotlight.

Examples of 3D printed habitats.

Procedures

Engagement Activity 

As instructed by your teacher, list all materials required 

to construct a house. If you were to use additive 

manufacturing, which utilizes 3D printing technology, 

to build a house, how would that change the materials 

needed? Can you identify any potential benefits and/or 

problems of using additive manufacturing to build houses? 

Activity 

1. Your teacher will assign your group the specific type 

of building you are responsible for designing (living 

quarters, research lab, storage facility, etc.), along 

with any design constraints. List the components 3D 

printed structures still require to be functional, such as 

electricity, plumbing, windows, etc. You should keep 

these components in consideration as you design the 

building.

NOTE: You do not need to design or print the entire 

structure in one piece; however, structures should be 

easily assembled once printed. 

2. Using graph paper or the space provided in your 

activity guide, work with your group to design your 

Martian building. Be sure to label the different parts of 

your building. Submit your design to your teacher to 

review and approve. 

3. Use 3D printer/CAD (computer aided design) software 

to prepare and print your structure. Assemble your 

structure, if necessary.

Evaluation 

Test your structure’s ability to “shield radiation” and 

protect the astronauts inside by shining a bright light on 

the structure and looking for areas where light permeates 

the structures. Record your results, observations 

about build quality, and ideas for improvement in your 

data sheets. 
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You Can’t Take It All With You Student Activity Guide

Building function: ______________________________________________________________________________

List building components to be added after printing (electricity, wiring, etc.): __________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Design:

Approval signature: _____________________________________________________________________________
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You Can’t Take It All With You Student Activity Guide

Activity 3: Excavation and Preparation

ACME is also interested in excavation and ways to manage 

and handle the material that is excavated in order to 

continuously produce in situ feedstock. This requires 

continuous excavation, size-sorting, and a delivery system. 

For this design challenge, you will construct a mechanism 

that can accomplish these three tasks. To do this, you will 

excavate materials from a container that contains varioussized objects—your mechanism needs to scoop, size-sort, 

then deliver each type of object to a specified location.

Materials Needed

 A variety of gears and other building materials

 Sand, gravel, and/or small rocks and beads of varying 

sizes

 Large containers for mixed media (one per group)

 Small containers to use for holding sorted materials 

(one set per group)

 Optional: Programmable robot to automate the sorting 

and delivery process

Procedures

We need different materials and systems if we have robots 

on Mars versus humans on Mars. On the chart below, 

create a list of what is needed for robots/rovers and what 

is needed for humans. When you finish, be prepared to 

discuss your lists with others.

Robot/Rover Resources Needed on Mars Human Resources Needed on Mars
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You Can’t Take It All With You Student Activity Guide

Engineering Design Process

share 

the solution

test and 

evaluate

optimize 

the design

build 

a model or 

prototype

brainstorm 

solutions

select 

a design

identify 

the problem

Both robotic and human needs on Mars include the need 

for in situ resources that can be mined or excavated on 

the planet. Much of this work will be automated, with 

little human oversight. You will now work with your 

teammates to design a mechanism that can excavate, sort, 

and deliver materials. You will be provided materials to 

use, any robotics technology you might have available, and 

rules for your design challenge. Engineering follows the 

Engineering Design Process, which is found above.

Since you’ve already been provided with the problem, 

the next step is to brainstorm a solution(s), followed by 

selecting a design. Each person in your group should 

develop an idea(s) for the mechanism you will build. This 

can be first done individually, or it can be done as a group 

from the beginning. Use the space below to brainstorm 

your ideas. Get your design approved before starting to 

build your design.

Design: Materials needed:

Design considerations (What guidance 

were you provided? Are there any 

limitations? Summarize what your 

mechanism needs to do.):

Approval:
You Can’t Take It All With You Student Activity Guide

About this Lesson

Author

April Lanotte

Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum

Denver, CO

In collaboration with the

Space Technology Mission Directorate

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Washington, DC

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to the reviewers who provided feedback, 

tested in the classrooms, and edited this resource.

Image Credits

Cover: Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft approaching Mars—

NASA. Page 1: Backpacking—Kitty Terwolbeck (https://www.

flickr.com/photos/kittysfotos/7925291004/); Covered wagon—U.S. 

Bureau of Land Management (https://www.flickr.com/photos/

mypubliclands/36346399930); Mars settlement—NASA. 2: BEAM—

SpaceX (https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-progressestoward-spacex-resupply-mission-to-space-station); Contour Crafting 

Robot—Behnaz Farahi/NASA. 3: Made In Space 3D printer—https://

www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/_elg6172.jpg); Astronaut on the 

International Space Station—NASA (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/

files/iss042e046048.jpeg); 3D-printed tool—Made in Space (https://www.

nasa.gov/sites/default/files/ratchet_pic1.jpeg). 1-1–1-2: Experimental 

setup photos—April Lanotte/NASA. 1-6: Experimental setup photos—

April Lanotte/NASA; Model of 3D printed habitat—Contour Crafting. 

2-1: Model of 3D printed habitat, illustration of 3D-printed building—

Contour Crafting. Back cover: Illustration of Mars settlement—NASA; 

sand mixture in ice cube tray—April Lanotte/NASA; Astronaut on the 

International Space Station—NASA (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/

files/iss042e046048.jpeg); Contour Crafting robot on the moon—Behnaz 

Farahi/NASA.

Published January 2020


Tech Logic is a lesson series produced by the Space Technology Mission Directorate.

www.nasa.gov Learn more at www.nasa.gov/spacetech.

NP-2019-09-2761-HQ