Our Model

New Rover by hsrdam on Sketchfab

This is our Mars rover bot, designed in Tinkercad and displayed here in interactive 3D. You can rotate and zoom to explore the model.

Mars Trash Cleanup — Clean Mars + MARS-LOOP Chamber

MARS-LOOP

A solution to clean Mars

How does it work?

About Us

Damian Herrera
Damian Herrera
Aspires to become an Operational Technology (OT) engineer.
Elizabeth Lin
Elizabeth Lin
Aspires to become a physicist.
Jimena
Jimena Carranza
Aspires to become a mechatronics engineer.
Josue Azofeifa
Josue Azofeifa
Aspires to become a mathematician or physicist.

About us

Jimena
Jimena
Elizabeth Lin
Elizabeth Lin
Josue Azofeifa
Josue Azofeifa

How MARS-LOOP Works

Waste Processing Flow Map
Waste Processing Flow Map

What you’re seeing

MARS-LOOP turns inorganic habitat waste (packaging, textiles, foams, composites) into useful parts by blending it with MGS-1 regolith.
Core idea: “On Mars, trash becomes structure.”
Goals: minimize waste, reduce water/energy use, and avoid microplastics or toxic gases in a closed loop.

Waste Processing Chamber — Workflow

  1. Waste Entry: Crew-generated inorganic waste enters the system.
  2. Classification (SORT): Separated by type (metals, plastics, textiles, foams).
  3. Shredding + Washing (SHRED + WASH): Closed-loop wash using recycled water.
  4. Filtering + Water Recovery: Microplastics captured and re-introduced; >93% of water recovered.
  5. Drying + Pelletizing: Clean fragments → reusable pellets.
  6. Mixing with Regolith (REGOLITH MIX): 20–40% MGS-1 added for strength; optional leftover carbon as filler.
  7. Molding / 3D Printing (FORM): Panels, boxes, tools, utensils.
  8. Output: Finished parts go back into the habitat—closing the sustainable cycle.

Operational “Weight” on Mars (Earth vs Mars)

Earth (mass equivalents)
  • Aluminum Alloy 7075 (Chassis/Body frame): 250 kg
  • Thin Titanium Sheet (Wheels): 80 kg
  • Carbon Fiber Composites & Aluminum 7075 (Robotic arm): 50 kg
  • Polymer Housings & Optical Glass (Sensor cameras): 70 kg
Mars-equivalent (apparent weight)
  • Aluminum Alloy 7075 (Chassis/Body frame): 94.85 kg
  • Thin Titanium Sheet (Wheels): 30.35 kg
  • Carbon Fiber Composites & Aluminum 7075 (Robotic arm): 18.97 kg
  • Polymer Housings & Optical Glass (Sensor cameras): 26.56 kg
Total rover apparent weight on Mars (full system): 360 kg
*Displayed as “Mars-equivalent weight” (≈ 0.38× Earth gravity).
Total weight - 525 kg

Collection Simulation

Rover + chamber mass: 525 kg Crater span: ~5.00 km Collected: 0 Distance: 0.00 km
Mars Rover
The mission ends when all visible trash is collected.

Run Results

Summary of path + MARS-LOOP chamber process.

Debris Collected0
Total Distance0.00 km
Time (at 0.03 km/h)0.0 h
Locomotion Energy0 J (0 Wh)
Mission Status—

Chamber (SORT → SHRED+WASH → DRY+PELLET → REGOLITH MIX → FORM)

Input Waste Mass0.0 kgassume 0.30 kg/item
Sorted (95%)0.0 kg
Shred+Wash (97%)0.0 kgWater: 0.0 L used (0.0 L rec.)
Dry+Pellet (96%)0.0 kg
Regolith Mix (30% frac., 95% eff.)0.0 kgAdds MGS-1: 0.0 kg
Form (95%) → Usable0.0 kg
Chamber Energy 0 Wh
Shred: 0 Wh Wash: 0 Wh Dry: 0 Wh Pellet: 0 Wh Mix/Heat: 0 Wh Form: 0 Wh
Cycles & Time 0 cycles · 0.0 h Capacity 2 kg/cycle · ~70 min/cycle
Pucks (0.5 kg) 0 Products est.: 0 panels · 0 boxes · 0 utensils
Total Mission Energy 0 Wh Locomotion + Chamber

Inside the Chamber

Usable: — kg Water: — L used · — L rec. Energy: — Wh

1) Sort (95%)

Input: —After sort: —
Separation by families: metals, plastics, textiles, foams, laboratory.

2) Shred + Wash (97%)

After wash: —Water: —
Sealed chamber, filters 50 µm + 5 µm capture microplastics (reincorporated).

3) Dry + Pellet (96%)

Pellets: —Energy (dry+pellet): —
Drying and pelletizing for stable feed to mixing/printing.

4) Regolith Mix (30% frac., 95% eff.)

Added MGS-1: —Composite: —
Use of MGS-1 (Jezero). Reinforces, reduces polymer consumption.

5) Form / 3D Print (95%)

Usable: —Cycles/Time: —
Printing/molding without incineration (no toxic emissions).
Residence Renovations
—
Reuse structural aluminum + composites for interior panels and boxes.
Cosmic Celebrations
—
Textiles/foams → decoration, protectors, utensils, food containers.
Daring Discoveries
—
Carbon (if available) + EVA + bags → lab parts, racks, trays.

Mars: Facts & Exploration

Mars globe
Mars globe Diameter 6,792 km (about half of Earth's)
Mars surface Day Length 24.6 hours
Olympus Mons Year Length 687 Earth days
Valles Marineris Gravity 0.38 × Earth's gravity
Mars atmosphere Atmosphere Thin, mostly carbon dioxide
Phobos moon Moons Phobos & Deimos
Mars temperature Surface Temperature -87°C to -5°C
Olympus Mons Known For Olympus Mons (largest volcano), Valles Marineris (deepest canyon)

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second smallest planet in our solar system. Known as the "Red Planet" due to its iron oxide-rich soil, Mars has fascinated scientists and explorers for centuries.

NASA has sent many missions to Mars, including rovers like Curiosity, Perseverance, and Ingenuity (the first helicopter on another planet). These missions help us learn about Mars' geology, climate, and potential for life.

For more facts, visit NASA Mars Facts.

Explore Mars in NASA Eyes

Mars: Cleaned

Great job. The simulated rover removed all visible debris.