In the past, the only way astronauts were able to send anything into orbit was with a rocket — a process that is both expensive and bound by a number of limitations. Thanks to Made In Space, this is all about change. Not only has the California-based startup developed the first zero-gravity 3D printer capable of extruding tools, it is now preparing to launch its second machine: Archinaut.
To accomplish this ambitious feat, the company has been working with Northrop Grumman and Oceaneering Space Systems to build a 3D printer equipped with a robotic arm that the team plans to install in an external space station pod. With the aid of a two-year, $20 million NASA contract, the project will culminate in 2018 with an on-orbit demonstration of Archinaut’s ability to additively manufacture and assemble a large, complex structure.
Simply put, it’ll be a robot that resides in space. Archinaut’s body consists of a 3D printer that makes parts from digital files, which can be even larger than the printer itself. Meanwhile, an arm attached to the printer can piece these DIY parts together with other pre-fabricated components into a larger structure. The most impressive part? No human assistance necessary.
This project could mean tremendous advances in space station maintenance as it would allow NASA and other companies to launch raw 3D printing materials into space along with batteries, electronics and sensors, and then have them autonomously produced and assembled by robotic arms. Currently, structures destined for orbit need to withstand Earth’s gravity, be folded up as cargo, endure the rigors of blast-off and ultimately survive space’s harsh environment.
If initial tests in 2018 go according to plan, the Made In Space team and its partners hope to continue the project by enlarging the additive manufacturing element and equipping it with additional robotic arms. The end goal is to have three robotic arms capable of latching onto orbiting structures to add or detach components, which eventually would enable companies to remove parts from a decommissioned spacecraft and use the parts in a new spacecraft.
Intrigued? You can read more about the project on SPACE.com.
[Images: Made In Space]