The Drake State Community & Technical College Frontiers Research Program recently used a robotic arm to complete the first half of the tallest 3D-printed structure in the State of Alabama. This visual and technologically advanced project took place on March 23 at the Drake State Community & Technical College campus.

In November, Drake State advanced manufacturing students and faculty 3D printed 3 ½ feet of the first wall of the two-sided structure.

“That day took two years of researching processes and materials to construct large-scale habitats on the moon. Now the possibility is becoming more of a reality. Once the project is complete, it will be the tallest 3D-printed structure in the state,” shared Drake State in a recent public statement.

When speaking with the Huntsville Business Journal, Drake State Community & Technical College President Dr. Patricia Sims shared meaningful insight upon the project and Drake State’s dedicated team in getting there.

“We promised our community and the delegation that if they invested in Drake State, that we would provide training for interns, develop a curriculum around 3D printing, secure the necessary printer and train our faculty. Today is a promise delivered on all those points,” Dr. Sims shared with the Huntsville Business Journal back in November for the first half of the project.

When asked about how long in total that such an incredible project has been in the works, Dr. Sims explained, “Drake State Community & Technical College launched the Frontiers Program in 2020 thanks to our Cooperative Agreement Notice with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. The Engineering Design program provides hands-on research experiences for students interested in STEM careers. We are on a mission to have a print project each semester as a capstone project.”

The Frontiers Research Program is a NASA-sponsored Cooperative Agreement with Drake State, a first of its kind to be awarded to a two-year institution and Historically Black College and University (HBCU).

Drake State Community & Technical College was established in 1961 and is a historically black community college located in Huntsville, home to the fast growing, highly technical aerospace, and defense industry, including the NASA Marshall Flight Center, US Army Redstone Arsenal, and Cummings Research Parks. Drake State offers flexible, affordable university-transfer 2-year and technical degrees, certificates, adult and continuing education, and customized technical skills training for Huntsville/Madison County employers.

“I cannot really think about, ‘I’m a part of this’ until I’m actually here and I’m, like, okay. We are getting data and retrieving data, so that maybe we could possibly live on the moon,” shared student Cilyah Davis, in a recent tv interview on the project.

“It’s prohibitively expensive. You want to be able to essentially live off the land on the surface of the Moon,” said Corky Clinton, who is the principal investigator for the Moon-to-Mars Planetary Autonomous Construction Technology program at Marshall Space Flight Center.

Drake State is one of 10 community colleges across the U.S. selected for the Institute for Evidence-Based Change (IEBC) Caring Campus Initiative. Each faculty and staff member is dedicated to creating the best experience for every student, helping them overcome non-academic barriers to success and building strong connections.

IEBC drives improvements in racial equity and student success by improving student connectedness and making data usable and actionable.

For more information, please visit drakestate.edu.