Berkeley’s 3D Printer Tested in Suborbit, Could Be a Game-Changer for Space Exploration

In a future deep-space mission, a cracked part on a spacecraft millions of miles from Earth would most likely lead to disaster. But a team of researchers from the University of California, Berkeley is already working to change that. On June 8, 2024, their cutting-edge 3D printer, SpaceCAL, took a brief but groundbreaking trip into space aboard Virgin Galactic‘s 07 mission. In just 140 seconds of suborbital flight, the printer successfully created test parts, showing the potential for on-demand manufacturing in space. This capability will be crucial for future missions far beyond our current reach.

SpaceCAL 3D printer on VSS Unity, awaiting launch on June 8, 2024. Image courtesy of Virgin Galactic.

Leading this project is Taylor Waddell, a Ph.D. student and Graduate Student Researcher in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Berkeley. Waddell has an impressive background, including his role as a Pathways Engineer at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, where he works on a variety of cutting-edge projects, from designing hardware for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to developing virtual reality (VR) tools for engineering applications.

At Berkeley, Waddell spearheads the SpaceCAL project under Professor Hayden Taylor‘s guidance, renowned for his pioneering work in Computed Axial Lithography (CAL), a revolutionary 3D printing process. Together, they are pushing the boundaries of space manufacturing, aiming to make on-demand printing of critical parts and medical supplies a reality for future deep-space missions.

Flight-hardware version of the CAL (Computed Axial Lithography) printing technology. Image courtesy of Taylor Waddell via LinkedIn.

SpaceCAL’s journey is part of an ongoing evolution in space manufacturing. While 3D printing in space isn’t new—there are already printers on the International Space Station (ISS)—Waddell and his team at Berkeley want to go further. They’ve been working to perfect SpaceCAL, a next-generation technology that aims to reduce the dependency on Earth even more by expanding the range of materials and objects that can be printed in space. The potential applications are vast, from creating critical spacecraft components to even medical supplies for astronauts.

SpaceCAL team members at the Virgin Galactic launch site (left to right): Sean Chu, Jake Nickel, Austin Portinause, Taylor Waddell, and Brian Chung. Image courtesy of Virgin Galactic.

During its brief 140-second trip into suborbital space aboard the Virgin Space Ship (VSS) Unity space plane—part of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo fleet designed for commercial space tourism and scientific research—SpaceCAL autonomously printed and post-processed four test parts. Among these were tiny models of space shuttles and the ever-popular 3D printing benchmark, the Benchy figurine or 3DBenchy, a small, highly detailed model. The material used for these prints was PEGDA, a liquid plastic that hardens when exposed to light in the presence of a photoinitiator.

“SpaceCAL performed well under microgravity conditions in past tests aboard parabolic flights, but it still had something to prove. This latest mission, funded through NASA’s Flight Opportunities program and with support from Berkeley Engineering and the Berkeley Space Center, allowed us to validate the readiness of this 3D printing technology for space travel,” said Waddell. “We hope that someday it may be used to manufacture everything from parts and tools for spacecraft to new contact lenses and dental crowns for crew members.”

The success of this mission marked a significant milestone for the project, as this test in actual space conditions validated the printer’s readiness for more ambitious missions.

Space shuttle figurine printed by SpaceCAL, floating in microgravity and fully post-processed. Image courtesy of Taylor Waddell.

The technology behind SpaceCAL is CAL, developed in 2017 by Berkeley and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers. CAL uses light to shape solid objects out of a viscous liquid, allowing for the rapid creation of parts with complex geometries.

In fact, CAL can print parts in as little as 20 seconds. But it’s not just the speed that sets CAL apart; it’s also its ability to function effectively in microgravity. This makes it an ideal candidate for space applications.

According to Waddell, “With CAL, we were able to demonstrate — first on those zero-G[ravity] missions and now on this spaceflight — that we can print parts in microgravity that are not possible on Earth.”

To date, CAL has shown that it can successfully print with more than 60 different materials on Earth, such as silicones, glass composites, and biomaterials. Waddell says versatility could be useful for both the cabin and the crew.

“So, with the cabin, if your spacecraft is breaking down, you can print O-rings or mechanical mounts or even tools. But CAL is also capable of repairing the crew. We can print dental replacements, skin grafts or lenses, or things personalized in emergency medicine for astronauts, which is very important in these missions, too,” pointed out the expert.

In fact, LLNL has already received a grant from NASA to test bioprinting using CAL technology on the ISS. The long-term goal of that mission will be to print human organs in space and bring them back to Earth for use in transplants.

SpaceCAL team members at NASA Ames (left to right): Dillon Balk, Sean Chu, Ameera Elgonemy and Brian Chung. Image courtesy of Taylor Waddell.

Waddell credits the success of this project to the contributions of many people, from fellow students in Hayden Taylor’s nanoscale manufacturing lab to the engineers at Virgin Galactic who ensured the mission’s success. Waddell also said his advisor, Professor Taylor, gave him the freedom to explore his passions and lead the project in the direction he believed was most promising.

This project was made possible through a $1.4 million grant and engineering support provided by NASA. In addition, Virgin Galactic played a pivotal role in taking this project to the next level. With this successful mission under their belts, Waddell and his team hope to work closely with NASA to develop CAL technology further.

As space exploration continues to evolve, the ability to manufacture parts and supplies in space will become increasingly important. Whether it’s printing a dental crown for an astronaut or a surgical tool for emergency medical procedures, the possibilities are endless, and SpaceCAL might be just the printer for the job.

SpaceCAL mission patch, marking the first time the 3D printer traveled to space. Image courtesy of Kirk Mendoza.