Design for an in-space 3D printer

This paper presents a space mission enablement and cost reduction technology: in-space 3D printing. Using in-space 3D printing, spacecraft can be lighter, require less launch volume and be designed solely for orbital operations. The proposed technology, which supports various thermoplastics and prospectively metals, is presented in detail. Key subsystems such as the energy collection system, the melting unit, and the printing unit are explained.

[1]  Neil Hopkinson,et al.  Rapid manufacturing : an industrial revolution for the digital age , 2006 .

[2]  Kaufui Wong,et al.  A Review of Additive Manufacturing , 2012 .

[3]  Michael Wegerson,et al.  Designing an Intelligent Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) , 2015 .

[4]  Jeremy Straub,et al.  Implementation of a large solar collector for electric charge generation , 2016, SPIE Defense + Security.

[5]  Robert P. Hoyt,et al.  SpiderFab(TradeMark):Process for On-Orbit Construction of Kilometer-Scale Apertures , 2013 .

[6]  Jonathan Coopersmith.  The cost of reaching orbit: Ground-based launch systems , 2011 .

[7]  BowyerAdrian,et al.  3D Printing and Humanity's First Imperfect Replicator , 2014 .

[8]  Philip T. Metzger,et al.  Affordable, Rapid Bootstrapping of the Space Industry and Solar System Civilization , 2016, 1612.03238.

[9]  Valentina Colla,et al.  Building components for an outpost on the Lunar soil by means of a novel 3D printing technology , 2014 .

[10]  Jeremy Straub,et al.  OpenOrbiter: A Low-Cost, Educational Prototype CubeSat Mission Architecture , 2013 .

[11]  Thomas A. Campbell,et al.  ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING AS A DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY: IMPLICATIONS OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTING , 2013 .

[12]  Jeremy Straub,et al.  Above the cloud computing: applying cloud computing principles to create an orbital services model , 2013, Defense, Security, and Sensing.

[13]  Jeremy Straub.  CubeSats: A Low-Cost, Very High-Return Space Technology , 2012 .

[14]  Thomas A. Campbell,et al.  3D printing of multifunctional nanocomposites , 2013 .

[15]  Jeremy Straub,et al.  Implementation of a Large Solar Collector for Solar Light Energy , 2016 .

[16]  K. Morris,et al.  Relative Cost and Performance Comparison of GEO Space Situational Awareness Architectures , 2014 .

[17]  Jeremy Straub,et al.  Enablement of scientific remote sensing missions with in-space 3D printing , 2016, SPIE Commercial + Scientific Sensing and Imaging.

[18]  James R. Wertz,et al.  Spacecraft attitude determination and control , 1978 .

[19]  Jason Dunn,et al.  The Effects of Microgravity on Extrusion Based Additive Manufacturing , 2013 .

[20]  Sofiane Chaieb,et al.  The OpenOrbiter CubeSat as a system-of-systems (SoS) and how SoS engineering (SoSE) Aids CubeSat design , 2015, 2015 10th System of Systems Engineering Conference (SoSE).

[21]  Silvia Benvenuti,et al.  Living on the Moon: Topological Optimization of a 3D-Printed Lunar Shelter , 2013 .

[22]  J. Planell,et al.  High-resolution PLA-based composite scaffolds via 3-D printing technology. , 2013, Acta biomaterialia.

[23]  Sanjay Jayaram,et al.  Significance of Student-Built Spacecraft Design Programs: Its Impact on Spacecraft Engineering Education over the Last Ten Years , 2011 .

[24]  Barry Berman,et al.  3D printing: the new industrial revolution , 2012, IEEE Engineering Management Review.

[25]  Benjamin Kading,et al.  Characterization of a Large, Low-Cost 3D Scanner , 2015 .

[26]  Jeremy Straub,et al.  Powering an in-space 3D printer using solar light energy , 2016, SPIE Commercial + Scientific Sensing and Imaging.

[27]  Jeremy Straub,et al.  Enablement of defense missions with in-space 3D printing , 2016, SPIE Defense + Security.

[28]  Jeremy Straub,et al.  Initial Work on the Characterization of Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing) Using Software Image Analysis , 2015 .

[29]  John R. London,et al.  LEO on the cheap methods for achieving drastic reductions in space launch costs , 1996 .

[30]  Alessandro Aliakbargolkar,et al.  Architecting Federated Satellite Systems for Successful Commercial Implementation , 2013 .

[31]  Valentina Colla,et al.  3D printing technology for a moon outpost exploiting lunar soil , 2010 .

[32]  Jeremy Straub,et al.  Development of a Large, Low-Cost, Instant 3D Scanner , 2014 .

[33]  Jeremy Straub,et al.  Enabling homeland security missions with in-space 3D printing , 2016, SPIE Defense + Security.

[34]  Jeremy Straub.  An Intelligent Attitude Determination and Control System Concept for a CubeSat Class Spacecraft , 2015 .

[35]  Julielynn Y. Wong,et al.  3D printing of surgical instruments for long-duration space missions. , 2014, Aviation, space, and environmental medicine.

[36]  Gábor Harsányi,et al.  3D Rapid Prototyping Technology (RPT) as a powerful tool in microfluidic development , 2010 .

[37]  M. Alexander,et al.  Desktop 3D printing of controlled release pharmaceutical bilayer tablets. , 2014, International journal of pharmaceutics.

[38]  Jeremy Straub,et al.  Software Design for an Intelligent Attitude Determination and Control System , 2015 .

[39]  M. Swariwout.  The first one Hundred University-Class spacecraft 1981 -2008 , 2009, IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Magazine.

[40]  Jeremy Straub,et al.  Characterization of 3D printing output using an optical sensing system , 2015, Sensing Technologies + Applications.

[41]  John T. Dorsey,et al.  Truss Performance and Packaging Metrics , 2006 .

[42]  Benjamin Kading,et al.  Utilizing in-situ resources and 3D printing structures for a manned Mars mission , 2015 .