California-based manufacturer Made In Space has won a $73.7 million NASA contract for the development of low-earth orbit (LEO)3D printingTechnology.
Using Archinaut One, a small spacecraft capable of additive manufacturing under microgravity, Made In Space will be used from both sides of the system3D printingTwo “light collecting plates” extending nearly 10 meters. Each “On the light collecting plateThe two solar cell arrays generate five times as much electricity as traditional solar panels on satellites of the same size.
Jim Reuter, deputy director of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, explained, “Space robot manufacturing and assembly are the undoubted game-changing and basic capabilities of future space exploration.Taking the lead in the development of this deformation technology will enable the United States to maintain a leading position in space exploration, as we are heading to the moon. “
A model of the Made In Space satellite made by Archinaut
The Archinaut system was first released in 2015 and integrates Made In Space’s Extended Structure Additive Manufacturing Machine (ESAMM), which works in the vacuum and temperature environment of the space3D printingEngineering thermoplastics.Last year, the Archinaut system manufactured a 37.7 meter long“Light collecting plate”, Considered by the Guinness Book of World Records to be “the longest3D printingNon-assemblies”.
The goal of the Archinaut project is to allow the construction of communication antennas, large space telescopes and other complex structures in long-distance space. This will eliminate the volume limitations of rockets and spacecraft, and reduce the risk of spacewalks by performing tasks currently completed by astronauts.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, this technology may have an impact on the moon-to-Mars detection method, which aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface by 2024.
The private and public partnership established between NASA and Made In Space is the beginning of the second phase of cooperation established through NASA’s Tipping Point program. This involves 22 U.S. companies dedicated to promoting “robots and humans’ exploration of the solar system” by leading the development of key space technologies.
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