Manufacturing Opportunities with Manufacturing in Space
The ability to manufacture in space: What does it mean?
It means more sustainable missions. Cost savings. Reduced risk. Critical research.
It means limitless opportunities to expand life outside of Earth.
Long-duration space explorations are carried out using tools, resources and technologies created here on Earth and then sent into orbit at the initial launch, or later via payloads. Today, payloads cost $10,000 per pound to send into space— just a little bit more than your typical UPS or FedEx standard shipping cost. And as you can imagine, if a repair is needed, the process to get a new part isn’t as simple as jumping on Amazon and receiving the item at your doorstep the next day (unless Jeff Bezos figures that out next).
Current models for repairs and replacements in space rely on Orbital Replacement Units (ORUs) in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). While ORUs have been essential in providing spare materials and have a plethora of replacement systems available, this model leads to a significant amount of waste among other challenges. According to NASA, 95% of spares available will never be used. The ability to manufacture in space would not only reduce waste by providing the ability to create materials on an as-needed basis but would also allow for any waste to be recycled.
While there is much to be done before in-space manufacturing is the norm, recent demonstrations of 3D printing and ceramic manufacturing at the International Space Station (ISS) are exciting steps toward more robust manufacturing capabilities.
To this end, NASA has recently launched a project called In-Space Manufacturing (ISM) that seeks to catalyze the development of manufacturing in space through a diverse task portfolio. The goal is to “develop the technologies and processes, which will enable on-demand manufacturing capability during long-duration space missions.” The project’s core development areas include additive manufacturing, 3D printing in Zero-G, multi-material fabrication, printed electronics and more.
In-space manufacturing will not only help reduce costs but could generate a booming space economy. According to Factories in Space, asteroid mining alone could create an estimated $1 trillion business, giving reason to believe in-space manufacturing as a whole could exceed that by tens of trillions of dollars due to the novel materials that can be made in space without the limitations of gravity experienced on Earth.
Back here on Earth, there are many terrestrial markets that can utilize in-space manufacturing since there is always a demand across all types of industries to make more optimal materials. Material quality is greatly affected by defects during formation, and often, gravity plays a role in causing those defects. By minimizing gravity, materials can be made with fewer defects, leading to better material and product performance.
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Companies are already beginning to consider opportunities where space is utilized to manufacture a product (or part of a product) that is then returned to Earth for use terrestrially. Some large markets such as telecommunications, medical devices and semiconductors are already seeing companies execute initial proof of concept experiments in space with the goal of full-scale production on commercial LEO platforms.
“The potential for an entirely new in-space economy is there,” said Dr. Jonathan Volk, Senior Manager of In-Space Manufacturing and Advanced Materials at Sierra Space and Keystone Space Collaborative founding board member. “At this point, it’s just a matter of connecting the right innovative companies and their different areas of expertise for the same common goal. With the right funding and dedication to making in-space manufacturing a priority for both terrestrial and space applications, we can unlock opportunities in space that are beyond anything we’ve ever seen, or thought would be tangible before.”
At the KSC, it’s our goal to help form these connections and mobilize the Keystone region as a leader in these growing space opportunities. If you or your company is interested in in-space manufacturing or other ways to make an impact in space, connect with the KSC today!
Sources:
Head of Sales @ Tronix3D | Additive Manufacturing | Community Builder | Connector | Startup Mentor / Advisor | PDMA - Focused on cultivating meaningful relationships in manufacturing, technology, product, and innovation.
2 年Eric ?????? Sanchez