“What we once thought was impossible is now a prototype in the field, printing its first full-scale structure,” said Evan Jensen, vice president of strategic research and development, described Phoenix as a “more advanced, more versatile system.”
Phoenix operates as a single arm on a rotating base. A high-tech unit at the end of the arm can extend to dispense the construction “ink,” a high-strength mix that offers a 24% carbon reduction.
ICON’s larger, 46-foot-wide setup is capable of printing single-story homes in volume, which helped ICON and its partners start an entire 3D-printed community in Texas, according to a CNN report.
Building on the Moon
ICON’s 3D technology is also being utilized by NASA to develop a lunar surface construction system, with aspirations of one day using it on Mars.
“ICON currently has numerous 3D-printed projects underway to deliver social housing, disaster-resilient housing, and market-rate residential housing in addition to developing construction systems to create infrastructure and habitats on the Moon and eventually Mars with NASA,” the spokesperson told Newsweek.
