Arthur C. Paolella, senior scientist and technical fellow at L3Harris, a leader in the aerospace and defense industry, said: "We are excited to be able to conduct a six-month test of the 3D-printed material and compare the new results to previous ISS experiments and ground tests, and the ability to 3D print space materials opens up new possibilities for satellite design and construction while making spacecraft manufacturing more cost-effective and efficient."
Optimize materials through space performance testing
Eduardo Rojas, director of the Wireless Devices and Electromagnetics Laboratory at Amber Riddle Aeronautical University, and his students are assisting in the experiment, which will utilize materials located outside the space station's International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) flight facility. Material samples will be exposed to the harsh environment of space and subjected to a variety of pressures, including extreme temperatures and radiation, to assess their performance under harsh conditions.
Paolella said the results obtained from these tests will guide the refinement and development of materials for integration into the satellite manufacturing process. In addition, the use of photonic integrated circuits is expected to enhance satellite communications by reducing size, weight, and power requirements while improving data transmission capabilities. L3Harris is exploring other applications of 3D printed materials in space, such as in-orbit manufacturing and repair beyond satellite components.
"While we can test the durability of these materials against one or two of these factors at a time on Earth, we can test all the potential hazards at once on the ISS," Paolella noted.
New developments in space manufacturing
The use of 3D printing in space manufacturing has accelerated significantly over the past few months:
In February 2024, AddUp and Airbus Defence & Space developed the Metal3D project under a European Space Agency (ESA) contract, launching a metal 3D printer for space applications that is co-funded by Airbus to evaluate additive manufacturing in continuous microgravity. It will be launched to the International Space Station by NASA's NG-20 mission and will be tested in the Columbus Module. Highlighting the potential of manufacturing in space to reduce dependence on supply chains on Earth, Airbus said the experiment aims to assess the quality of metal printing in space and inform future extraterrestrial missions.
In July 2023, Orbital Composites was awarded a $1.7 million U.S. Space Force contract to advance space Service, Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM) antennas. Working with industry giants such as Axiom Space and Northrop Grumman, the team aims to transform satellite cellular broadband and space-based solar energy. The company plans to launch its first Space factory module and set up an ISAM "lab" on Axiom Station, and with plans to expand to geostationary orbit, Orbital is also working with Space Logistics to improve ISAM capabilities for GEO applications.