SpaceX was able to carry out a successful launch of its Falcon 9 rocket on November 29, 2022. The mission of the rocket was to provide the crew of the International Space Station with new supplies and equipment for use in scientific research. More importantly, this 26th commercial resupply mission by SpaceX carried project materials for 3D printing research in space, just like the Artemis 1 launch mission did. This mission was also successful. It has been reported that this work is being done by the MIT Media Lab and that it will contribute to the development of large-scale 3D printing construction in space.
An experimental study of additive manufacturing known as squeeze and several other experiments are currently being conducted at the MIT Media Lab on the Black Box 2 platform, which is a remote-controlled commercial space station platform developed by space services provider Nanoracks. Black Box 2 was designed to allow for multiple experiments to be conducted simultaneously. These experiments are being launched into space jointly by the National Laboratory for Space Exploration aboard the International Space Station.
Extruding liquid resin into custom shapes in microgravity will be demonstrated by researchers as part of new additive manufacturing experiments. These experiments will allow for the creation of geometries that cannot be manufactured on Earth. While a camera records the process, the payload structure itself is made up of three pumps that inject light-curable resin into prefabricated flexible shapes.
Ariel Ekblaw, the project's principal investigator and the director of the Space Exploration Program at the MIT Media Lab, made the following statement in reference to the endeavor: "This experiment exploits a microgravity environment to extrude both common and complex branching shapes. "Our approach shortens the amount of time necessary to complete commonplace responsibilities. The timing of critical components that could support the future in-space construction of large-scale structures such as trusses and antennas is something that needs to be looked into. Our investigation of extrusion builds on our workflow for additive manufacturing and in-space self-assembly.
Ekblaw, an enthusiastic instructor in 3D printing at MIT, explained that in microgravity, the extrusion of free space that would normally sag can proceed unimpeded, which enables the creation of structures that cannot be produced in gravity. Large objects, such as beams used in massive construction, are subject to the deforming effects of gravity on Earth. Gravity acts as a constraint on the capabilities of traditional additive manufacturing processes, particularly those that employ liquid resins as their primary raw material source. Instead, the conditions of weightlessness that exist in space make it possible tool steel to construct these longer and thinner structures without any deformation taking place.
In the event that it is successful, the extrusion project could contribute to the laying of the groundwork for the additive manufacturing of more complex space structures, such as space stations, solar arrays, telescopes, and other industrial equipment to support future space exploration. Additionally, given that it is not possible to launch large structures in one piece because they would have to be able to withstand greater forces on Earth and during the launch than would be experienced in space, these pieces could be created in orbit using technology known as extrusion and then shipped back to Earth for use.
Before being sent to the International Space Station, the extruded payload was put through its paces on a parabolic flight in May of 2021, under the direction of a team that was led by Ekblaw. The team was able to successfully test a new method of rapidly extruding and UV-curing liquid resin CNC Swiss Machining shapes while in microgravity conditions after boarding a test plane designed to simulate the conditions of zero gravity.
In earlier iterations of the extruded hard parts process, the raw materials consisted of a light-cured resin and a small soft wire. It does this by forcing the two components to pass through a nozzle assembly that simultaneously molds the wire into a three-dimensional shape and covers it with a layer of resin that is consistent across its surface. To cure the resin and enable it to harden and bond with the wires as specified in the initial plan for the project, an array of ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV LEDs) was positioned behind the nozzles. After the formation of the entire shape has been completed, a cutting machine is used to separate the applied wire at the point where it emerges from the nozzle in order to form a second formation.
Experiments on state-of-the-art 3D printing, such as the one shown here that was conducted by researchers at MIT, are frequently sent to the International Space Station for testing. The much-anticipated bioprinting platform that was built by Techshot and operated by Northrop Grumman was returned to the microgravity lab by another Northrop Grumman-operated resupply spacecraft just one month ago. This provides the lab with new capabilities for continuing research on printing human tissue. And in February of this past year, researchers from Cornell University conducted tests of software for 3D printing on the International Space Station. In addition, the space agency is providing funding for a vast number of additive manufacturing and bioprinting projects that are being carried out on Earth. These projects will make important contributions to the expanding space ecosystem. One such project is the replicator 3D printer, which intends to manufacture cartilage in space.
The Space Exploration Program at the MIT Media Lab also provides funding for a number of research projects involving microgravity and the moon that span the fields of science, engineering, art, and design. The program's objective is to develop the technology that will be used in our science fiction space future while maintaining an open and accessible environment for its team and innovations. This plan to make space exploration more accessible to the general public will make it possible for new fields of study and technologies to provide additional space experiences.
Sailing musical instruments, open cube satellites, stellar bacteria wearables, floating space habitats, and advanced zero-gravity 3D printing are some of the space innovations that MIT researchers are developing and deploying as part of this initiative. This initiative envisions a brave How Does 3D Printing Work and culturally rich new space age.
