Moon habitat named 2023’s ‘Coolest Thing Made in Illinois’
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[March 30, 2023]
By NIKA SCHOONOVER
Capitol News Illinois
nschoonover@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD – The Rosenberg Moon Habitat was named 2023’s “Coolest Thing
Made in Illinois” Wednesday in a contest hosted by the Illinois
Manufacturers’ Association.
The habitat is manufactured by Ingersoll Machine Tools in Rockford, in
collaboration with the Institut auf dem Rosenberg of Switzerland. At a
height of 23 feet, the structure is designed to house two people at a
time on the moon and is the world’s tallest single-piece 3D printed
polymer structure.
“The habitat represents the very best of our state’s manufacturing
industry, where creativity and determination turn dreams into reality –
including living on the moon,” Mark Denzler, President and CEO of the
Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, said in a statement. “We are proud
of the wide variety of products featured throughout this year’s
competition, and hope this contest shines a light on the important work
taking place on factory floors across Illinois every day.”
The annual “Makers Madness” contest is a bracket-style competition to
celebrate manufacturers across Illinois. This year’s winner was
announced at the Governor’s Mansion Wednesday and the contest is
sponsored by Comcast Business.
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The Rosenberg Moon Habitat beat out an initial field of 250 entries and
emerged on top of three other finalists including the Drug Terminator, a
portable drug incinerator designed to safely destroy prescription drugs
or confiscated narcotics.
The habitat also defeated 17th Street Barbeque Sauces, which come in
various flavors, and the 77GHz Radar for Driver’s Assistance and
Automated Driving, which is a compact sensor that provides more precise
warnings for drivers.
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Jeff Ahrstrom, CEO of Ingersoll Machine
Tools, accepts the 2023 award for "Coolest Thing Made in Illinois,"
awarded each year by the Illinois Manufacturers' Association, for
its moon habitat. Also pictured are Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton
(left), IMA President and CEO Mark Denzler and Gov. JB Pritzker.
(Capitol News Illinois photo by Nika Schoonover)
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“Making the coolest thing today just means we can keep making the
coolest things in Illinois tomorrow, and for future generations,” Jeff
Ahrstrom, CEO of Ingersoll Machine Tools, said as he accepted the award
Wednesday.
The governor used the opportunity to praise Illinois’ economic
milestones, including receiving eight credit upgrades, surpassing $1
trillion in annual economic value and paying off the state’s short-term
debt.
“We’ve incentivized growth in Illinois and it is working,” Pritzker said
in his speech. “Our great state has always been a land of innovation and
today, because of you, Illinois is home to over 18,000 manufacturers
that employ over 600,000 residents up and down the state.”
Last year’s winner was Rivian’s all-electric R1T truck. Previous winners
include a Self-Regulating Traffic Signal Heater by Termico Technologies,
which heats traffic signals so they remain free of snow or ice, and the
797F Mining Truck by Caterpillar, the world’s largest mechanical truck.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news
service covering state government. It is distributed to more than 400
newspapers statewide, as well as hundreds of radio and TV stations. It
is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R.
McCormick Foundation.
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