Another American High Frontier First: 3-D Manufacturing in Space

May 31, 2013

David E. Steitz
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1730
david.steitz@nasa.gov

Janet Anderson
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034
janet.l.anderson@nasa.gov

Grant Lowery
Made in Space, Moffett Field, Calif.
650-701-7722
grant@madeinspace.us

RELEASE: 13-161

ANOTHER AMERICAN HIGH FRONTIER FIRST: 3-D MANUFACTURING IN SPACE

WASHINGTON -- In preparation for a future where parts and tools can be
printed on demand in space, NASA and Made in Space Inc. of Mountain
View, Calif., have joined to launch equipment for the first 3-D
microgravity printing experiment to the International Space Station.

If successful, the 3-D Printing in Zero G Experiment (3-D Print) will
be the first device to manufacture parts in space. 3-D Print will use
extrusion additive manufacturing, which builds objects, layer by
layer, out of polymers and other materials. The 3-D Print hardware is
scheduled to be certified and ready for launch to the space station
next year.

"As NASA ventures further into space, whether redirecting an asteroid
or sending humans to Mars, we'll need transformative technology to
reduce cargo weight and volume," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden
said during a recent tour of the agency's Ames Research Center at
Moffett Field, Calif. "In the future, perhaps astronauts will be able
to print the tools or components they need while in space."

NASA is a government leader in 3-D printing for engineering
applications. The technology holds tremendous potential for future
space exploration. One day, 3-D printing may allow an entire
spacecraft to be manufactured in space, eliminating design
constraints caused by the challenges and mass constraints of
launching from Earth. This same technology may help revolutionize
American manufacturing and benefit U.S. industries.

"The president's Advanced Manufacturing Initiative cites additive
manufacturing, or '3-D printing,' as one of the key technologies that
will keep U.S. companies competitive and maintain world leadership in
our new global technology economy," said Michael Gazarik, NASA's
associate administrator for space technology in Washington. "We're
taking that technology to new heights, by working with Made in Space
to test 3-D printing aboard the space station. Taking advantage of
our orbiting national laboratory, we'll be able to test new
manufacturing techniques that benefit our astronauts and America's
technology development pipeline."

In addition to manufacturing spacecraft designs in orbit, 3-D printers
also could work with robotic systems to create tools and habitats
needed for human missions to Mars and other planetary destinations.
Housing and laboratories could be fabricated by robots using printed
building blocks that take advantage of in-situ resources, such as
soil or minerals. Astronauts on long-duration space missions also
could print and recycle tools as they are needed, saving mass, volume
and resources.

"The 3-D Print experiment with NASA is a step towards the future,"
said Aaron Kemmer, CEO of Made in Space. "The ability to 3-D print
parts and tools on demand greatly increases the reliability and
safety of space missions while also dropping the cost by orders of
magnitude. The first printers will start by building test items, such
as computer component boards, and will then build a broad range of
parts, such as tools and science equipment."

Made in Space previously partnered with NASA through the agency's
Flight Opportunities Program to test its prototype 3-D Print additive
manufacturing equipment on suborbital simulated microgravity flights.
NASA's Flight Opportunities Program offers businesses and researchers
the ability to fly new technologies to the edge of space and back for
testing before launching them into the harsh space environment.

For this mission, Made in Space was awarded a Phase III small business
innovation and research contract from NASA's Marshall Space Flight
Center in Huntsville, Ala. After flight certification, NASA plans to
ship 3-D Print to the space station aboard an American commercial
resupply mission. NASA is working with American industry to develop
commercially-provided U.S. spacecraft and launch vehicles for
delivery of cargo -- and eventually crew -- to the International
Space Station.

For more information about Made in Space, visit:

http://www.madeinspace.us

NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate leads the agency's
participation in the president's National Network for Manufacturing
Innovation. The directorate's Game Changing Development program leads
the agency's efforts in 3-D printing. For more information about the
directorate, which is innovating, developing, testing and flying
hardware for use in NASA's future missions, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/spacetech


-end-



To subscribe to the list, send a message to:
hqnews-subscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov
To remove your address from the list, send a message to:
hqnews-unsubscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov