Schlagwort: Made in Space

  • Made In Space Wins NASA Contract for Next-Gen ‘Vulcan’ 3D Printer

    Made In Space Wins NASA Contract for Next-Gen ‘Vulcan’ 3D Printer

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    California-based company which built the two 3D printers aboard the International Space Station (ISS) secures a NASA contract to continue developing its next-generation Vulcan manufacturing system.

    As the name implies, Made in Space is a company that specializes in additive manufacturing in space. And they’re pretty established, too. The start-up already has two 3D printers aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for extensive testing.

    So what will be their next feat on the final frontier? The company has won a coveted NASA contract to develop a next generation system called Vulcan.

    Vulcan is a major step up from the two machines currently on board ISS; those can only print in plastic polymers. The new system can fabricate items in the space environment using a broader variety of “feedstock” materials, including metal.

    In fact, Vulcan will be able to use more than 30 materials. These include titanium, stainless steel, aluminum, and a variety of plastic composites, according to Made In Space representatives.

    The upgradeable machine is a hybrid of both 3D printing and standard “subtractive” techniques like CNC milling to machine the printed parts down to their final shapes.

    “The Vulcan hybrid manufacturing system allows for flexible augmentation and creation of metallic components on demand with high precision,” says Made In Space chief engineer Mike Snyder.

    “Vulcan is an efficient, safe capability that utilizes the minimum amount of resources during manufacturing processes.”

    Space Travel Would be Illogical Without Next Gen Vulcan

    Once Vulcan is ready to go, Made In Space plans to demonstrate the technology on the ISS. Once on-board, Vulcan can prove it’s potential usefulness for a variety of exploration missions.

    The benefit of having a 3D printer in space, for example, is reducing the requirement for extensive mission resupplies. Tools can be manufactured as and when they are required, which will save on costs and energy.

    “Vulcan can be important to logistical reduction necessary for long-term exploration,” says Snyder.

    “The hybrid manufacturing system is a major step forward for efficient space operations, providing the ability to build essential components and assemblies in the space environment, where flying spare parts from Earth is otherwise not viable.”

    Made in Space is also working on similar larger-scale projects, like Archinaut, which should be able to build new spacecraft parts outside the confines of a space module using a robotic arm and 3D printer.

    vulcan archinaut
    vulcan archinaut

    Source: Space.com

    License: The text of „Made In Space Wins NASA Contract for Next-Gen ‘Vulcan’ 3D Printer“ by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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  • Made In Space Receives NASA’s “Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year” Award

    Made In Space Receives NASA’s “Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year” Award

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    NASA’s Johnson Space Center this week awarded Made In Space, the space manufacturing company, with the Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year Award for performing well on every NASA contract.

    Made In Space is responsible for the Additive Manufacturing Facility which was sent into orbit in March 2016. As a result of their hard work, Made In Space has won the Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year Award from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas this week.

    The Additive Manufacturing Facility is a second-generation 3D printing device. Both modular and upgradable, it can be adapted during long missions to new technologies. Now, it has been a permanent fixture aboard NASA’s International Space Station (ISS) for two years.

    Although it’s owned by Made In Space, NASA and partners use it. NASA’s Johnson Space Center, which nominated Made In Space, oversees Additive Manufacturing Facility operations.

    The Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year Award is given to companies which work cooperatively, are responsive to contractual agreements and perform well on every NASA contract.

    “We’re honored to win this prestigious award… We’re grateful for NASA’s confidence in our team and look forward to success with AMF and other programs for many years to come,” said Mike Snyder, Made In Space co-founder and chief engineer.

    Made In Space
    Made In Space

    Digitally Launching 3D Models into Space

    The space manufacturing company state in a press release that the integration and operation of the Additive Manufacturing Facility would not have been possible without ISS crew members and Johnson and Marshall Space Flight Centers’ support.

    Once a print is created, it is put into the print queue before being “digitally launched” to the printer on ISS. The Additive Manufacturing Facility then prints using multiple feedstock polymers. For example, ULTEM (PEI/PC), ABS and Braskem Green PE.

    Impressively, Made In Space has manufactured over 100 parts for government and commercial customers using the Additive Manufacturing Facility which it operates on a weekly basis.

    So far, on-orbit manufacturing has resulted in spare parts, complex tools, medical devices and multi-part assemblies. One such print was radiation shields.

    Read more about Made In Space on All3DP or visit their website to find out more about their work.

    Source: Press Release

    Made In Space
    Made In Space


    Website: LINK