US company Made In Space is 3D printing spacecraft parts in orbit. The company is building a small spacecraft called Archinaut One for this purpose with funding from NASA.
The project will receive $73.7 million in funding from NASA. It is part of Tipping Point, an initiative in which NASA is forming public-private partnerships for the development of critical space technology. The aim is for private parties to account for at least 25% of development costs, lowering the bill for US taxpayers.
Archinaut One
The Archinaut One forms the basis of the project. This spacecraft is expected to be put into orbit using an Electron launcher from the also US-based Rocket Lab. Once here, the Archinaut One will print two large beams, 10 metres long, which will be placed on either side of the spacecraft. During printing, the beam are extended further and further, automatically unfolding solar panels that the Archinaut One has brought with it from Earth. These are highly energy-efficient solar panels that NASA says generate five times more energy than traditional solar panels currently used on spacecraft of similar size.
"Robotic manufacturing and assembly in space are undeniable breakthroughs and fundamental opportunities for future space exploration," said Jim Reuter, Associate Administrator at NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate. "By taking the lead in developing this transformative technology, the United States maintains its leadership position in space exploration as we make strides with astronauts travelling to the moon and later to Mars."
The Archinaut One has been in development since 2016. Made In Space successfully managed to 3D-print structural beams in a NASA test environment simulating space conditions in 2017. This experiment demonstrated the operation of the printing system and showed that printed parts can withstand the pressure, temperature and other factors they are exposed to in space. Besides Made In Space, Northrop Grumman and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are also involved in the development of the Archinaut One.
3D printing in weightlessness
People have been experimenting with 3D printing objects in space for some time. In January, for instance, US company TechShot announced its intention to send a 3D printer to the International Space Station (ISS) to print heart tissue. This is a complex process; for instance, printed organs tend to collapse under their own weight during printing. Weightlessness in space prevents this.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is also betting on 3D printing in space. For instance, ESA wants to 3D-print accommodation spaces on the moon from local materials, so that components for these locations do not have to be transported using spacecraft. Building a lunar base on the moon will give researchers, among other things, more living space so they can stay on the moon longer and more room to carry out research.
3D-printed Habitat Challenge
NASA itself has also been focusing on 3D printing in space for some time. In 2015, for instance, the US space agency launched the 3D-printed Habitat Challenge. Within this competition, teams are challenged to 3D-print a habitat from which astronauts can explore deep space. The competition aims to develop construction techniques for sustainable homes both on Earth and off-planet.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
