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The Made in Space company reported on new successes in creating a 3D printing system for working in outer space: the developers have successfully tested a prototype of a 3D printer in conditions as close as possible to real ones.
The printing system was named "ESAMM" - "Extended Structure Additive Manufacturing Machine" or "Machine for additive manufacturing of extended structures." The final version will be part of the Archnaut project, a family of satellites equipped with 3D printers and robotic arms for the construction of large-sized orbital structures and space station elements.
Made in Space 3D printers have been actively used in space for several years, but not in a vacuum, but aboard the International Space Station. A second, improved version, printing with thermoplastics, is currently in operation. The use of on-board 3D printers should simplify logistics, especially during long expeditions to other planets: instead of a full set of spare parts and tools, you can take a 3D printer and a supply of raw materials with you, and then print whatever the need arises. But this is not enough.
We also need technology for manufacturing and assembling large-sized orbital structures that cannot fit into the limited volume of cargo ships. Another point is also interesting: in the design of all available spacecraft, extreme overloads during launch into orbit are taken into account, but directly in space, the safety factor translates into a waste of materials and payload. So isn't it more profitable to make the same satellites right in space? These problems should be solved by the Archinaut project.
The ESAMM prototype has undergone ground tests at NASA's Ames Research Center, proving its performance in harsh vacuum conditions and wide temperature conditions. In the course of the experiments, 3D-printing of structures from a polymer composite consisting of polyetherimide (PEI) and polycarbonate (PC), including a thirty-meter beam, was carried out. Archinaut systems will be equipped with manipulators for assembling such elements into full-fledged engineering structures, with the possibility of using the systems both on satellites and as external, "outboard" production modules of space stations.
“Successful demonstrations prove the feasibility of adaptive production of complex structures in space on demand. This expands the capabilities of the constructors. We hope that when planning flights, specialists will be able to more confidently rely on the capabilities of production and assembly directly in space and optimize the design of satellites taking into account the assigned tasks, and not launch restrictions. Satellites with integrated manufacturing and assembly systems will, by definition, be more capable and useful for users and operators. We are proud to make this idea a reality and thank NASA for their support, ”said Made in Space CEO Andrew Rush.
