Mars Desert Research Station, Utah
A rust-red Utah desert where crews rehearse living on Mars.
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Make this model
The Standard resolution model is free as STL, 3MF, Colored 3MF, OBJ and a 16-bit heightmap. High resolution samples the place about ten times more finely.
- Region
- Utah, USA
- Position
- 38.4064, -110.7919
- Area
- 5 × 5 km
- Real elevation
- 1,331 to 1,432 m (101 m of relief)
- Printed size
- 150 mm (5.9 in) wide, about 1:33,300
- Heights
- 2× exaggeration
- Elevation data
- USGS 3D Elevation Program, 1–10 m per point
- Suggested color
- Desert
- Group
- Wild places
About Mars Desert Research Station, Utah
The Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) is the largest and longest-running Mars surface research facility and is one of two simulated Mars analog habitats owned and operated by the Mars Society. The MDRS station was built in the early 2000s near Hanksville, Utah, in the western United States. It is crewed by small teams who conduct scientific research. The MDRS campus includes a two-story habitat with a greenhouse, a solar and a robotic observatory, an engineering pod and a science building.
From Wikipedia: Mars Desert Research Station, text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. The article’s history lists its authors.
Questions about Mars Desert Research Station, Utah
Where is Mars Desert Research Station?
Mars Desert Research Station is in Utah, USA at 38.4064, -110.7919. The model covers a 5 by 5 kilometer square around that point.
How high is the terrain in the Mars Desert Research Station model?
The land in this model runs from 1,331 to 1,432 m (101 m of relief). These are the measured heights, printed 2 times taller so the shape is easy to see.
Can I 3D print Mars Desert Research Station?
Yes. Download the free Standard resolution STL and print it on any FDM or resin printer. It is 150 mm wide and about 11.1 mm tall, on a solid 5 mm base, at a scale of about 1:33,300. It also works for CNC carving. Use Customize to change the width, base thickness or height exaggeration, make it round or add a name plate.
How accurate is the Mars Desert Research Station model?
It is built from real elevation measurements, not an artist's guess: the USGS 3D Elevation Program, mostly airborne laser scans at 1 to 10 meters per point. The shaded picture on this page is made from the same data.
Is the Mars Desert Research Station model free?
The Standard resolution model is free as STL, 3MF, Colored 3MF, OBJ and a 16-bit heightmap. High resolution samples the place about ten times more finely and is a paid upgrade.
What is a Mars Desert Research Station terrain model good for?
People use it as a memento of a park visit, a gift for a hiker or a classroom model.
About this terrain model
Embossify Terra builds Mars Desert Research Station, Utah from real measured elevation, not an artist's guess. In the United States the heights come from the USGS 3D Elevation Program, mostly airborne laser scans that resolve every 1 to 10 meters.
The model covers a 5 by 5 kilometer square centered on 38.4064, -110.7919. It prints 150 mm (5.9 in) wide on a solid base, a scale of about 1:33,300. The heights are exaggerated 2× so the shape is easy to see and feel; you can change that when you customize the model. The sea is flattened to zero, so land stands on a clean base.
New to terrain printing? Read how Terra works. The shaded picture on this page is made by Embossify from the same elevation data.
