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Can 3-D Printing Turn Space-Based Solar Into a Reality?
Can 3-D Printing Turn Space-Based Solar Into a Reality?
NASA is investing, but cost is still the question.
Herman K. Trabish
November 27, 2013
...
“The overall vision is to create a ‘satellite chrysalis’ with compact, durable ‘software DNA’ assembly instructions, and the ability to fabricate space system components on-orbit instead of building them on the ground,” explained Rob Hoyt, CEO and Chief Scientist of startup Tethers Unlimited, Inc.
TUI has won two rounds of funding for its SpiderFab 3-D robotic printer from the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program. A $100,000 award allowed proving of the technical feasibility and value proposition of the technologies and won TUI a $500,000 award to continue development.
“Our analysis shows we can get orders of magnitude improvement in the stowed volume and mass of space systems,” Hoyt said. The transport of compact materials instead of bulky finished products, “could reduce stowed volume tenfold and mass by 50 percent to 80 percent.”
3-D printing and robotic construction of components on-orbit would allow a smaller, less expensive launch rocket that will “improve performance per cost by orders of magnitude,” Hoyt said.
Once in space, TUI’s Trusselator, the first step in the SpiderFab architecture, would ...
NASA is investing, but cost is still the question.
Herman K. Trabish
November 27, 2013
...
“The overall vision is to create a ‘satellite chrysalis’ with compact, durable ‘software DNA’ assembly instructions, and the ability to fabricate space system components on-orbit instead of building them on the ground,” explained Rob Hoyt, CEO and Chief Scientist of startup Tethers Unlimited, Inc.
TUI has won two rounds of funding for its SpiderFab 3-D robotic printer from the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program. A $100,000 award allowed proving of the technical feasibility and value proposition of the technologies and won TUI a $500,000 award to continue development.
“Our analysis shows we can get orders of magnitude improvement in the stowed volume and mass of space systems,” Hoyt said. The transport of compact materials instead of bulky finished products, “could reduce stowed volume tenfold and mass by 50 percent to 80 percent.”
3-D printing and robotic construction of components on-orbit would allow a smaller, less expensive launch rocket that will “improve performance per cost by orders of magnitude,” Hoyt said.
Once in space, TUI’s Trusselator, the first step in the SpiderFab architecture, would ...
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Can-3D-Printing-Turn-Space-Based-Solar-into-a-Reality
