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A project to 3D print large components in space rather than install them has allowed NASA to sign a $ 73.7 million contract for the demonstration of technique in space . Archinaut, a mission developed for several years by Made In Space, could be launched as early as 2022.
The problem is: if you want a spacecraft to have solar panels 60 feet long, you have to bring a 60-foot structure to which these panels will attach – they can not just move like ribbons. But where do you hide a 60-foot, or two 30-foot, or even 10-foot pole, when you only have a few cubic feet to install them? It is very quickly very difficult to carry in space objects of a single dimension.
The Archinaut solution is simple. Why not simply take the material of this long component in space and print it on the spot? There is no more compact way of preserving the material than a brick of solid material.
Of course, this goes (so to speak) to more than just canes and poles – bulky material sheets for things such as light sails, intricate nested structures on which other components could be mounted … there has plenty of things too big to fit in the room space, but that could be made smaller if needed. Here is one designed to attach instruments to a large fixed distance from a central machine:
Made in Space has already signed contracts with NASA and demonstrated the 3D printing of parts aboard the International Space Station, as well as the ability to print content in an artificial vacuum more or less equivalent to a space environment .
The demonstration mission, Archinaut One, would be launched aboard a Rocket Lab Electron launcher no earlier than 2022 and, after reaching a stable orbit, would begin to extrude a pair of beams that would expand to a distance of 12 meters. Flexible solar panels taking place at the same rate, connected to the rigid structures of the beams, will be attached to these beams. When they are done, a robotic arm will lock them up and do other housework.
You can see that everything is happening in this video unfortunately not particularly exciting:
Once completed, this pair of 32-foot solar panels would theoretically generate about five times the power of a spacecraft of this size. It is almost without exception a powerless system, with more watts to use or store for the orbit. the equivalent of a rainy day would certainly be welcome.
In another print, the robot's arm could rearrange parts, hook connectors, and perform other tasks to create more complex structures like the concept. It's still good in the future, however, the current demonstration mission will focus on the beam and matrix principle, although the team will certainly learn a lot about how to complete other stages of the beam. process.
Naturally, manufacturing in space is a major concern for a country that plans to establish a permanent presence on and around the moon. It is much easier to do something there than to make a delivery of a quarter of a million kilometers. You can follow Archinaut and Made In Space. other projects along the space print line on the company's blog.
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