How 3D Printing is Used in the Space Industry
The James Webb space telescope is currently in orbit, capturing images of deep space and the very origins of our universe. NASA has recently announced the crew that will man the upcoming mission to travel around the moon. And billionaire Elon Musk continues his quest to seek new lands for humans to colonize. There is no question about it - space exploration is entering new frontiers.
Space agencies are using contemporary technology to update their building and design capacities. Top among these innovative techniques is 3D printing. Although 3D printing is accessible for beginners, it is also used for highly sophisticated space-related applications. Right now, multiple space agencies are finding creative solutions using 3D printing technology.
Space agencies are developing 3D-printed space-secure structures, satellites, thrusters, rocket engines, food, and even space suits. Even better, the development and design of materials are quicker, easier, and more accessible using 3D printing technology, making swift advancements in the industry more likely.
In this post, we will detail each of these 3D-printed projects. We will explore how 3D printing is predicted to assist upcoming space missions and uncover how it is being used by major space stations today.
3D Printing Projects For Space Exploration
Space exploration has always prompted technological advancements, and space agencies have utilized cutting-edge tools to fulfill their missions. In 2014, NASA successfully proved that 3D printers could function in zero-gravity environments, releasing positive results from their In-Space Manufacturing (ISM) project. Let’s look at some innovative ways space agencies use 3D printing today to design and build better tools, gadgets, and structures for further space explorations, both on the ground and while in orbit.
3D-Printed Rocket Parts - and Rockets
Several manufacturing companies have begun to create 3D-printed rockets, which are lighter in weight than their traditional counterparts. Elon Musk’s SpaceX company has been utilizing 3D metal printing to cheaply and efficiently manufacture rocket parts. This streamlined process, known as DMLS, enables SpaceX to construct reusable rockets quickly.
Another US-based startup company called Relativity Space is working on a project entitled “Terran R.” The goal of the project is to create Terran R, a reusable rocket fully created by 3D printing - the first of its kind. The reusable rocket will be able to launch over 20,000 kg into low Earth orbit and is set to launch for the first time next year, in 2024, from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
3D-Printed Satellites
Major players in the aerospace industry, including Boeing and Airbus, have begun to use 3D printing to manufacture lightweight but complex parts to build their satellites. Airbus has used 3D printing to construct radio frequency parts for two of its Eurostar Neo satellites. Meanwhile, In Australia, Fleet Space has developed fully 3D-printed satellites. The company has revealed that it plans to launch these 3D-printed satellites to hover in space next to the constellation Centauri.
Rocket Engines
To create lightweight, complex rocket engines that can be manufactured quickly, many aerospace manufacturers are embracing 3D printing technology. Engineers can develop 3D-printed parts for rocket engines using a special copper alloy powder that can withstand extremely high temperatures. NASA uses 3D printing techniques to create large-scale engines for space rockets in its Rapid Analysis and Manufacturing Propulsion Technology project, or RAMPT.
Pangea, a company based in Spain, is working on industrializing sophisticated 3D-printed combustion tools for rocket engines using unexpected materials. Pangea’s 3D-printed rocket engine has proven significantly more efficient than traditionally manufactured versions.
In Australia, SPEE3D, a 3D manufacturing company, has received a sizable government grant to develop a project that will allow them to 3D print rocket engines using their cold spray metal technology.
3D-Printed Food
How to feed astronauts is a particular logistical challenge that has vexed engineers for decades. Space food has long been reduced to dry, dehydrated packets designed to provide optimal nutritional value while maintaining freshness and taking up minimal weight during long space journeys. Now 3D printing may revolutionize the culinary landscape for space expeditions.
Partnering with NASA, the Systems and Materials Research Corporation (SMRC) is developing an advanced method of building food from raw materials. Space vessels would carry packets of dry powders containing unflavored macronutrients, such as starch or protein. These raw materials would be fed into a 3D printer, combining them with liquid ingredients such as oil or water and additional components, including flavor, aromas, and micronutrient supplements. The resulting edible forms would have the texture and taste of regular Earth food, so astronauts could even make 3D-printed space pizza.
Israeli company Aleph Farms have proposed another innovative solution. Using a 3D printer offered by Bioprinting Solutions, Aleph Farms has been able to produce a 3D-printed meat structure that tastes, looks, and smells like a steak, all onboard the International Space Station. They harvested bovine cells from cows on Earth and sent them to the ISS to be cultured. When the meat cell cultures were ready, technicians onboard the ISS could feed them into the 3D bioprinter to create the space steaks.
3D-Printed Space Suits
Elon Musk’s SpaceX company has developed 3D-printed space suits and space helmets that can easily be printed, even from a home desktop 3D printer. Each of these helmets and suits meets the requirements for space exploration.
The helmets come equipped with valves, locks, microphones, and a protective visor for the wearer. The method used to manufacture these suits and helmets makes them ready for widespread distribution in a range of sophisticated materials suitable for space travel.
3D-Printed Living Spaces Secure for Space
3D printing may answer how humans can live on other planets. Engineers from the Delft University of Technology have come up with a unique innovation that will rely on 3D printing to create habitable planetary structures.
The project involves unique “Zebro” robots that can communicate with each other and collaborate on specific tasks. The robots can dig tunnels under the surface of Mars or other planets and produce 3D-printed underground living structures. Since these living structures will exist under the planet’s surface, they will be more protected from the harsh, inhospitable environment of Mars, which shifts rapidly.
3D-Printed Thrusters
In 2022, MIT successfully created 3D-printed nanosatellite thrusters powered by ions. Elsewhere, Agile Space Industries has collaborated with Astrobotic’s GM1 (or Griffin Mission One) team to develop unique 3D-printed thrusters for the Griffin lunar lander. These customized thrusters are called Attitude Control Thrusters.
NASA has contracted the Griffin lunar lander to take the VIPER (Volatines Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) to explore the moon’s South Pole. The launch is set for later this year and should grant NASA scientists the ability to map out the existence of ice on the moon.
3D-Printed Moon Houses
Life on Mars may not be far off. As deeper space exploration continues to reveal new information about the atmosphere and the viability of Mars as a place to support human life, scientists and researchers have already begun to develop prototypes for living structures on the moon, Mars, and other planets.
Redwire, a company focused on building sustainable infrastructures in space, has been developing the Redwire Regolith Print, an initiative to determine whether they can create sustainable lunar infrastructures. The company has already transported supplies to the International Space Station to conduct experiments in 3D printing using lunar rocks and soil. If the experiments are successful, Redwire can 3D print with natural lunar raw materials to produce living structures on demand, on the moon and further into space.
Another project in development, ICON’s Project Olympus, is working to develop prototypes for a potential future construction system based entirely on 3D-printing and additive construction methods. This full-scale system would, in theory, be able to print an entire city on the moon.
NASA has been promoting the development of lunar and planetary habits, offering prizes for innovative designs to the NASA Centennial 3D Printed Habitat Challenge contestants. The winner, AI SpaceFactory, created the Marsha Design, a possible model of future 3D-printed visionary space architecture on Mars.
Zero Gravity Sculpting
Astronauts in space face many challenges; countless hours of waiting is one of them. Developers at MIT have been working out ways for astronauts to make art during space expeditions while in zero-gravity atmospheres.
While engineers have previously experimented with creating 2D marks, such as painting, in zero-gravity environments, MIT researchers are currently working on Space/Craft, a project that has them developing ways for astronauts to make 3D sculptures in space.
The process involves using a hot glue gun to make 3D drawings in zero-gravity environments. These 3D printed drawings can be shaped to create specific sculptural forms, providing entertainment for astronauts during the long hours in orbit. MIT engineers are also developing these technologies with future space pioneers in multi-planetary human settlements in mind.
The Future of 3D Printing and Space Exploration
Space agencies are currently developing and testing the viability of 3D printing in even more space exploration contexts, which could have huge ongoing implications for space exploration at large. Here are a few possibilities of how 3D printing technology may affect the field of space exploration in the future.
1. 3D Printing Could Make Space Exploration More Affordable
NASA has been an ardent supporter of early and developing 3D printing technology for several reasons. Modern 3D printing allows aerospace manufacturers to create highly specified and complicated parts more quickly, efficiently, and easily at a fraction of the cost.
3D-printed parts can be made from a wide range of materials, including materials much more lightweight than traditionally used in manufacturing processes. NASA engineers can digitally render complicated designs that would be extremely time-consuming and costly to produce with traditional methods.
3D printing technology allows engineers to cheaply produce large-scale, very lightweight, flexible objects made of space-proof materials that are strong enough for planetary travel. Each object can be printed on demand, with complex singular-part designs costing no more than simple ones. So industrial 3D printing is highly desirable for space agency engineers and designers, who can use ample design freedom, low costs, and low production volumes while producing complex shapes and structures.
2. 3D Printing Can Be Used for Remote Space Healthcare Solutions
The European Space Agency (ESA) is currently conducting experiments on the International Space Station to test how effective bioprinting can be in supporting the healthcare of space travelers. The ESA experiments are being led by a team from Wake Forest, who won a NASA challenge for using 3D printing technology to produce human liver tissues grown in the lab.
Since space exploration is typically an isolated atmosphere where astronauts have no access to healthcare, there are natural limitations on how long an astronaut’s journey can be. The ESA experiments with 3D bioprinting may make it possible for astronauts on long-term expeditions to receive healthcare remotely. And they may pave the way for future healthcare solutions in planetary or lunar settlements.
3D printing presents potent possibilities when paired with other cutting-edge technology. AI and machine learning, for example, are revolutionizing healthcare and other sectors, with the global machine-learning market estimated to reach $209.91 billion by 2029. Combined with the increasing sophistication of machine learning tools, 3D printers can be used to create remote healthcare solutions for astronauts in orbit and for possible future settlers of living habitats on other planets.
3. 3D Printing May Support Planetary Colonization
When it comes to planetary expansion, 3D printing is one of the key tools that may help human society advance towards sustainable life on other planets. Space exploration of Mars and other potentially habitable planets is aided by 3D printing technology. NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover, which is currently exploring the red planet, seeking out signs of primordial life forms, was constructed with eleven total 3D-printed parts. The sophisticated printing technology allowed engineers to create extra lightweight, high-precision details that lend themselves to exploring this unique environment.
At such a point as space explorers do determine that Mars, the moon, or another planet is a feasible place for human settlements, 3D printing will be the most viable way to build these physical structures. Space developers will likely send machines ahead to prepare the planetary bases for human habitation. These machines will be equipped with 3D printers that can construct space architecture on-site, wherever that site may be.
Another collaboration between NASA and design firms ICON and Big-Bjarke Ingels Group presents a realistic simulation of a 3D-printed human living structure on Mars. This visionary design project, called “Mars Dune Alpha,” aims to transport the structure to Mars to provide shelter for astronauts during lengthy space exploration missions.
The Best 3D Printing Software for Preparing 3D Models
There are a lot of 3D printing software available. One of the best 3D modeling software out there is SelfCAD. SelfCAD is a powerful and intuitive 3D printing software that offers a suite of tools for creating 3D models. It has a simple and easy-to-use interface that makes it suitable for beginners and experienced users alike. Navigating through the workspace is easier and it uses a standard used in various CAD programs. The video below demonstrates how you can navigate on 3D workspace easily.
You can also combine various tools of the software to create interesting tools. You can check out the video below to learn how you can combine artistic and technical tools like drawing and sketching to create an interesting model in SelfCAD.
It also features a wide range of features that make it extremely versatile and powerful. For instance, it has a robust set of tools for sculpting, modeling, and rendering 3D models and powerful online slicing software for preparing your designs for 3D printing. The slicer of SelfCAD is easy to use and you can apply various settings like infill, layer height, supports, and print speed. After you are done 3D slicing, you can then export the G-code to your 3D printer or 3D printing service directly from the software.
SelfCAD also comes with many 3D shapes that users can modify to form the 3D model that you would like. For example, the video below shows how you can transform and modify 3D objects to form your specific model.
Final Thoughts
With so many exciting applications, 3D printing is well on its way to becoming an indispensable and intrinsic part of the space industry. There is a wide range of 3D printing capabilities, from 3D printing while in orbit to creating space-proof living structures on the moon or other planets. Space agencies can use 3D printing to design revolutionary new gear for astronauts, including food and clothing, and to engineer and build low-cost satellites and rocket ships. There is seemingly no end to the creative possibilities that 3D printing can provide in furthering the field of space exploration.
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