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Flight Test Sheds New Light on In-Space 3D Printing, Propellant Slosh [1]

['Lee Ann Obringer', 'Nancy J. Pekar']

Date: 2024-06 

The phrase “do me a solid” has new meaning when it comes to in-space manufacturing.

About the Payload

Rather than printing in layers, UC Berkeley’s new additive manufacturing system uses light to solidify liquid and gel materials in a single step in microgravity. The suborbital flight test provided an opportunity to mature this technology for future use in crewed space exploration missions or producing commercial products in low Earth orbit.



Jointly developed by the UC Berkeley and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the multi-material manufacturing technique is known as computed axial lithography.



Applications

The space-based version aims to rapidly meet astronauts’ urgent needs. These might range from printing spare parts for spacecraft machinery to addressing medical-related issues during long-duration missions. The technology could even be used to bioprint organs in low Earth orbit for patients on Earth.



“We’re looking to print a range of things in space, from mechanical engineering tools to clips for closing wounds,” said principal investigator Hayden Taylor. “We’re also looking into restorative dental applications. So, if an astronaut chips a tooth on a long mission and we have a scan of their mouth, this machine could print a crown on demand.”



Flight Test Objectives

Working with the Conseil National de Recherches Canada, Taylor and the rest of the research team are striving to reduce the size and cycle time of in-space additive manufacturing systems and increase the quality of printed pieces. Their other goals include minimizing the required level of operator experience while increasing scalability and modularity. They also want to offer new capabilities, such as embedding an existing item within a 3D printed object.



Flight Testing Heritage

The flight with Virgin Galactic builds on two previous UC Berkeley tests, which Flight Opportunities also supported. During parabolic flights aboard Zero Gravity Corporation’s G-Force One aircraft, researchers experimented with printing various objects during 20-second rounds of reduced gravity. They leveraged the results of those flight tests to adjust their technique, improve hardware and data collection, and integrate the post-processing usually performed separately to finish a printed piece.

Learn more about the UC Berkeley 3D printer payload

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[1] Url: https://www.nasa.gov/stmd-flight-opportunities/flight-summaries/flight-test-sheds-new-light-on-in-space-3d-printing-propellant-slosh/

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