6 Reasons Space Exploration Will Need Additive Manufacturing

The human relationship with space has changed dramatically within a lifetime. What was once an unreachable expanse is now the next frontier for technology, industry, medicine and even tourism. The demand for more satellites, increasing frequency for space missions, the planned Artemis base on the moon and other ventures are all creating new challenges in manufacturing. Additive manufacturing (AM) may not be the answer to all of these challenges, but there are many opportunities for this technology to aid and assist endeavors in space.

This was the focus of the recent Excellence in Space Seminar hosted live and virtually by Additive Industries on April 20, 2022, coinciding with the opening of the company’s new Process and Application Development Centre in Filton, U.K. Speakers from both academia and industry described new technological developments and production methods that will be needed to realize all the potential that space represents.  

Here are six opportunities for additive manufacturing that were shared, some still in the future and some happening right now:

1. Getting vehicles to space

Reusable and more efficient launch vehicles are necessary as space flights pivot away from one-off missions to repeatable ventures. In addition, the frequency and quantity of launches is expected to continue to grow; according to speaker Mike Curtis-Rouse, head of access to space at Satellite Applications Catapult, ten years ago there were just 12 launch companies while today there are more than 320. These companies and space agencies are increasingly turning to additive manufacturing for complex components such as thrusters and engines, where 3D printing can help reduce weight and improve performance. Dan Etenberg, CEO at LIA Aerospace, described how his company is creating next-generation rocket engines that incorporate regenerative cooling by virtue of additive manufacturing. Metal 3D printing allows for “building in reduced spaces and in compact fashion,” he says, which brings footprint reductions in addition to weight savings and fuel efficiency.

2. Making systems to be used in space

 Satellite networks, orbit vehicles, rovers and more can benefit from designs enabled by additive, and these systems will only grow in number. Curtis-Rouse speculated that three or four commercial space stations will join the International Space Station (ISS) in orbit within the next decade, and pointed to efforts by the U.K.-based Space Energy Initiative to begin work on an orbital solar power plant that would send energy to earth as microwaves. 3D printed parts already exist in space within systems such as the Perseverance rover on Mars and various satellites; more are expected where AM can deliver complex geometries or overcome manufacturing challenges for these components. Additive manufacturing materials’ specialized characteristics such as electrostatic dissipative (ESD) properties and heat resistance will be important to these items as well.

3. Producing spare parts

Keynote speaker R. G. Clinton, associate director of NASA’s science and technology office, described the current challenges with maintaining the International Space Station through spare parts; at any one time there are thousands of spare parts stored on the ISS and on earth, but only a small portion are ever used. The ability to use 3D printing as a production process in space would help alleviate the supply chain and inventory challenges presented by spare parts; printing these pieces in situ reduces waste and simplifies logistics. Made in Space successfully demonstrated 3D printing of polymers in space with the Zero-G printer, an extrusion 3D printer used on the ISS in 2014. More recent projects focus on 3D printing of other materials such as ceramics and metals, and even the use of hybrid systems that combine 3D printing and CNC machining. Being able to 3D print tools, replacement parts and more in space will be key to enabling longer space missions and potentially further exploration.

4. Manufacturing products for earth

There are compelling reasons to utilize AM for in-orbit manufacturing (IOM) to make items that today are difficult or impossible to manufacture on earth. Curtis-Rouse described the challenges with producing fiber optics for suboceanic cables for instance; while it is possible to produce these fibers on earth, they are limited in length and the cooling rate creates bubble that introduce latency. When produced in microgravity, the optics are nearly translucent and can easily be made longer. Other industries such as semiconductors and pharmaceuticals can also benefit from production in microgravity. Mastering the mechanics of 3D printing in microgravity could expand additive’s capabilities and allow it to be used in these applications; certain challenges such as the need for support structures might even be solved through printing in orbit.

5. Building habitat and infrastructure

NASA’s Artemis mission will eventually lead to the establishment of a basecamp on the surface of the moon which will include infrastructure such as launch pads and roads in addition to habitats and later production facilities such as greenhouses, refineries and power plants. 3D printing will be a part of that construction. Because transporting building materials to space is costly, the Moon to Mars Planetary Autonomous Construction Technologies or MMPACT Project (of which Clinton is principal investigator) is exploring 3D printing these structures using the moon’s regolith as a building material, in combination with binders from earth. A robotic 3D printing system using this feedstock will allow for autonomous construction on the moon’s surface, without waste and using local materials.

6. Outfitting habitats

The MMPACT project is also exploring lunar outfitting, or “turning a house into a home,” as Clinton describes it. Habitats, greenhouses, laboratories and other structures built on the moon or elsewhere will not be complete with just walls, floors and roofs. Additional items such as furniture, tools, sensors and lab equipment are also needed to make these structures functional and livable. Rather than transport objects like chairs, oxygen sensors and workbenches from earth, 3D printing can be applied to produce these items on site — perhaps even with lunar regolith or material recycled from decommissioned launch vehicles or other equipment.