The implementation of manufacturing capabilities within spacecraft is progressing with advancements in three-dimensional printing technology for use in weightless environments.
Dr. Gilles Bailet, from the James Watt School of Engineering at the University of Glasgow, has been granted a patent for a system that allows for construction during a space flight.
He hopes this technology - which has been tested on a zero-gravity research plane - could make space exploration more sustainable and decrease space debris.
Dr Bailet stated his invention, utilizing granular materials, could facilitate plans to production in space unique equipment not feasible on Earth.
"As space launch costs continue to decline, space is becoming increasingly crowded, and this trend is unsustainable," Dr Bailet stated.
Our vision is to enable the production of items directly in space through 3D printing, thereby paving the way for material recycling in space and establishing a comprehensive circular economy.
The International Space Station (ISS) was launched with its first 3D printer in 2014, and since then, research on producing items in space has been ongoing in both ground-based labs and onboard the ISS.
Dr. Bailet's prototype 3D printer employs a granulated material, differing from the filaments commonly utilized on Earth.
Despite the challenges posed by weightlessness and the vacuum in space, materials can be retrieved from a feedstock tank and rapidly delivered to the printer's nozzle, beating other methods in this regard.
The experiment was conducted in November as part of the 85th European Space Agency parabolic flight campaign with Novespace in Bordeaux, France.
The team successfully tested their device on three flights, achieving over 90 brief moments of weightlessness during intense ascents and rapid descents, reminiscent of a rollercoaster ride.
"It was truly breathtaking seeing the technology functioning flawlessly as planned," he said, referring to the tests on the aircraft that simulates weightlessness, garnering 22 seconds of microgravity every time it surges over a peak.
We are now confident that our technology can function properly in space, allowing us to complete the first space demonstration as part of our technological advancement goals.
Dr. Bailet and his colleagues are also investigating ways to integrate electronics into materials during the printing process.
"Currently, everything that is sent into Earth's orbit is built on the ground and launched into space through rocket propulsion," Dr Bailet stated.
They have narrowly restricted mass and volumes and can cause self-destruction during launch when mechanical limits are exceeded, resulting in the loss of valuable cargo.
He added that products made on Earth are "less robust in the vacuum of space," and 3D printing has been successfully done only in the pressurized modules of the ISS so far.
While Dr. Bailet's project is currently working on building components to complement spacecraft, such as radiators and antennae, it is expected that equipment could eventually be manufactured on space.
These could include solar reflectors to generate carbon-free power for transmission back to Earth, upgraded communication antennae, or research stations that can produce purer and more effective medicines.
"Crystals grown in space are often larger and more organized than those created here on Earth, making space-based chemical factories potentially capable of producing new or enhanced drugs that can be sent back to the planet's surface," he noted.
Dr. Bailet and his team are currently seeking funding to assist with the initial demonstration of their technology in space.
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