in-space manufacturing

U.S. Space Force Funds Orbital Composites to 3D Print Quantum Antenna

California-based startup Orbital Composites has been on a solid roll as far as federal funding is concerned. Most recently, the large-scale 3D printing company secured a Small Business Innovation Research…

Daring AM: DCUBED’s Cosmic Journey to 3D Print in Open Space

Joining a select group of companies pushing the envelope in space exploration, Munich-based DCUBED is on track to 3D print a truss structure directly in open space. Expected in the…

ISS Looks for Experiments for Tissue Engineering and Bioprinting in Orbit

Responsible for the U.S. portion of the International Space Station (ISS), the ISS National Laboratory sends payloads to space, both from commercial firms and academic institutions. Now, the ISS National Laboratory…

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3D Printers in Zero-G Flights? There Have Been a Few of Those

In 2011, Made In Space created the first 3D printer for microgravity; what sounded like science fiction suddenly became a reality. Since then, at least 15 experimental 3D printers have…

Varda to Launch Space Factory Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9

Varda Space Industries will launch the world’s first space factory in early 2023 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare mission deploying to low Earth orbit (LEO). During the mission, Varda’s…

NASA Funds Antimicrobial 3D Printing Materials for Space Applications

NASA has awarded $1.13 million to researchers from the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) and Chilean nanotechnology company Copper3D to develop and test two new recyclable and antimicrobial materials for…

Redwire ISS Experiment Targets In-Space 3D Printing with Lunar Regolith

Space manufacturer Redwire will send new hardware to the International Space Station (ISS) to demonstrate 3D printing with lunar regolith simulant in microgravity. This milestone could be a major leap…

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Students’ In-Space 3D Printing Experiment Works in Zero-G Test

Advances in space technology and manufacturing processes have helped to lower costs and reduce entry barriers to space. Still, space is expensive. Today, all spacecraft are developed, tested, and assembled…

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3D Printing Off-Earth: ISS National Lab Hosts AM in Space Workshop

Off-Earth manufacturing is beginning to shed some light on how humans could live in orbit. The development of in-situ resource capabilities, like in-space manufacturing, for sustaining life and mobility in…

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NASA Funds 3D Printing Projects for Upcoming Era of Space Exploration

Driven by Moon exploration, space tourism, spacecraft manufacturing, and orbital infrastructure, space agencies and private companies worldwide have developed ambitious plans for the future of spaceflight. This heightened interest in…

Over a Dozen US Additive Manufacturing Proposals will Receive NASA’s SBIR and STTR Awards

NASA is looking to develop technologies that will break boundaries in space, such as pilotless aircraft or solar panels, that could help humans live on the Moon and Mars. During…

First Commercial Space Station Set to Launch in 2020; Axiom Plans to Use It As a Manufacturing and 3D Printing Hub by 2027

In 2014, history was made as the SpaceX Dragon supply freighter docked with the ISS, carrying supplies and the first 3D printer in space, the Made In Space zero-gravity 3D…

NASA Design Challenge: Create a Logo for the In-Space Manufacturing Project

How’s this for bragging rights, graphic designers and artists? “Oh yes…I designed a logo for NASA.” Start practicing your casual hair flip and bored tone now, because NASA is, in…