Large Space Structures

Above Space (Orbital Assembly, Above: Orbital) page at Factories in Space

ABOVE provides a thoughtful path to more space in space for commercial organizations and governments, so they can benefit from new, critical on-orbit platforms and realize the promise of a thriving space-based economy.

The first large scale Space Construction Company designed to build any structure in space quickly and with precision.

In 2021, announced the opening of its new production facility in Fontana, California that will develop the technologies and structures to build the world’s first space hotel with lunar levels of gravity between the Earth and the moon. The company is progressing towards its first mission launch deadline scheduled for 2023 and will begin a new round of financing in May 2021 via Net Capital to raise $7 million.

Orbital Assembly Corporation (OAC), the only company advancing the development and operation of the first commercially viable, space-based business park with gravity, is partnering with the 100 Year Starship initiative, seed-funded by DARPA, founded and led former astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison.

In 2022, Micro Meat, a pioneer in the alternative protein industry, and Orbital Assembly (OA), developer of space-based business parks with variable gravity, have signed a memorandum of understanding to co-develop cultivated meat production systems in space. Under the agreement, Micro Meat will install its proprietary meat production equipment aboard OA’s Pioneer-classTM space station to provide food for space station personnel. The Pioneer-classTM stations are the world’s first and largest hybrid space stations for both work and play and will be the first free-flying, habitable, privately-operated facility in orbit. The project will give Micro Meat the opportunity to enhance the efficiency of its production process and make it more of a scalable protein production system on earth.

In December 2022, Orbital Assembly (OA), a leader in the race to make Hybrid-Gravity™ space accessible for leisure, commercial and industrial activities has announced a new equity offering (Regulation CF).

• Over the last three years, Orbital Assembly completed schematic design of the Voyager-class™ station and Pioneer-class™ space platforms, and the OASIS™ habitation module. The company has signed agreements with dozens of partners, vendors, and future customers.
• The company is also pursuing a number of Small Business Administration projects (SBIR) with multiple agencies in the Department of Defense.
• Orbital Assembly offers consulting services to assist these customers in preparing for use of our orbital assets and fly payload on the first Pioneer-class station, with planned initial operation within 30 months contingent on funding.
• The Pioneer-class Station will be our first free-flying space craft and accommodate up to 54 people. This hybrid-gravity space station, used for commercial operations, is designed for variable artificial gravity operation, providing the opportunity for long term habitation.

MISSE-19

"MISSE" stands for Materials International Space Station Experiment, and we'll be testing the performance and durability of materials we plan to use in future space mission.

Above: Orbital Will Launch its Proprietary Materials to the International Space Station MISSE-19 in March to Conduct Experiments and Materials Tests, 2024-02-20

• Above: Space Development Corporation, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Above: Orbital, will be testing the performance and durability of its proprietary materials in low orbit, aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the upcoming Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE-19) mission in March, flown by SpaceX Dragon resupply mission, SPX-30.
• Above: Orbital is developing adaptable, space-based microgravity platforms for government and commercial customers.
• Among the materials that ABOVE is testing include those that may be used on its Archimedes Orbital System, a first rapidly deployable, free-flying on-orbit platform, which is in development. Archimedes is intended to serve as an orbital system for solar panels, beamed power, and electronically steerable antenna arrays for communications and monitoring, as well as other space infrastructure functions.
• Other materials to be tested include resins, polymers data and several customer payloads including electronics, and experimental seeds.
• Since 2001, the MISSE series has tested some 4,000 material samples and specimens — from lubricants and paints to fabrics, container seals and solar cell technologies — to demonstrate their durability in the punishing space environment.

In March 2024, the SpaceX Cargo Dragon completed liftoff and separation on its way to dock with the International Space Station with our MISSE materials and other cargo on board.

Above Space is counting down to our MISSE mission - our material test and other experiments are flying to the ISS on the Space-X Dragon ISS resupply mission, SPX-30. Payloads launched to the ISS on March 21, 2024.

MISSION STATUS:

• Payloads installed on the exterior of ISS to the MISSE Flight Facility.
• Apr 10, 2024 - Sample carrier opened to the space environment.

Hosted Payload . SPARK

Prometheus SPARK is a new program from ABOVE Space to demystify and accelerate space development and provide solutions for companies and organizations to achieve their space goals fast and economically.

ARCHIMEDES

The Archimedes program comprises large superflat structures that can support phase arrays. It is designed to be a rapidly deployable, free-flying on-orbit platform serving as an orbital system for:

• Solar panels
• Beamed and remote power
• Telecommunications
• Edge computing
• Orbital manufacturing
• Servicing and assembly
• High-resolution imaging

in collaboration with Electric Sky and the US Department of Defense, ABOVE is developing the Archimedes technology for launch as soon as 2025. The system deploys large, extremely flat structures for on-demand energy and communications applications.

AI Spacefactory page at Factories in Space

AI SpaceFactory is advancing construction technologies and materials for sustainable Space exploration and habitation — solutions which can improve how we build and live on Earth.

Makers of smart buildings, 3D printed constructs, and off-world habitats.

Starting October 2022, SpaceFactory launched our first (terrestrial) commercial 3D printer, ASTRA. Building on the prototype developed for the NASA Centennial Challenge, SpaceFactory engineered ASTRA for scale, autonomy, and sustainability. Designed as a full-stack solution including material handling, ASTRA is a fraction of the price of comparable gantry style 3D printers. By reducing cost and technical barrier-to-entry, ASTRA’s mission is to enable the next generation of builders and creators.

LINA - BUILDING ON THE MOON 

Unlike conventional 3D prints, where layers are parallel to the ground, LINA will be 3D printed at a 60-degree angle to construct the continuous, vaulted roof. A regolith berm, prepared in advance, functions as an inclined print bed to support the initial layers. To prevent warping as the material cools, and to improve adhesion of the 3D print material to the regolith print bed, reusable metal tiebacks will be inserted into the berm to anchor the first layers. As the roof begins to take shape, a mobile excavator will follow behind the 3D print head to cover LINA with a protective regolith overburden. Finally, the regolith overburden is shaped to give LINA a sleek, yet symbiotic form designed to meld into the lunar landscape.

To construct LINA, SpaceFactory is advancing the development of a Space-rated 3D printing system designed to operate in vacuum with temperatures ranging from -170º to 70ºC. The first such prototype, built by SpaceFactory together with NASA, is undergoing testing at Kennedy Space Center in a lunar environmental chamber designed to mimic the exact conditions at the Lunar south pole. The 3D print material, formulated by SpaceFactory from BP-1 lunar simulant, was synthesized by NASA’s Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Lab and subsequently validated in static extrusion tests performed in vacuum.

MARSHA - BUILDING A MARS HABITAT

In an alien environment 54.6 million kilometers away, construction and materials must be rethought entirely.

Architecture on Earth plays a critical role in the way we live. On Mars, this reaches a higher level of importance since buildings are also machines we depend on to keep us alive and well. In Space architecture, every design decision is of great consequence to the success of a mission. Structures must be resilient and interior layouts must be tuned to mission demands. And yet, since sustained social and mental health are also mission-critical, Space habitats must be designed to be rich, useful, and interesting worlds onto themselves. Marsha, AI SpaceFactory’s Mars habitat design, illustrates that the result can be both visionary and credible with an alien yet familiar beauty.

MARSHA employs a unique dual-shell scheme to isolate the habitable spaces from the structural stresses brought on by Mars’s extreme temperature swings. This separation makes the interior environment unbeholden to the conservativism required of the outer shell, which retains its simple and effective form. As a result, the interior is free to be designed in the sense we take for granted on Earth – around human needs.

Airbus page at Factories in Space

Airbus is a leader in designing, manufacturing and delivering aerospace products, services and solutions to customers on a worldwide scale.

Additive Manufacturing

Metal3D, developed by Airbus for the European Space Agency (ESA), is a real game changer. It uses metal as source material and prints it at 1,200 degrees Celsius to produce new parts such as radiation shields, tooling or equipment directly in orbit. Future versions of the 3D printer could also use materials such as regolith (moondust), or recycled parts from decommissioned satellites.

As early as the end of this decade, 3D printers could also be used on the Moon, enabling a sustainable human presence there by printing structures for lunar rovers or habitats. 3D printing in space or on the Moon is only the beginning. Airbus wouldn't be Airbus if it didn't take in-space manufacturing to the next level. As soon as in the next three to four years, it will be producing and assembling entire satellites in space. So its next satellite factory will not be in Europe or the United States, but in space, hundreds of kilometers above us.

The world’s first metal 3D printer for space is on its way to the ISS, 2024-01-31

• The first metal 3D printer for space, developed by Airbus* for the European Space Agency (ESA), will soon be tested aboard the Columbus module of the International Space Station (ISS).
• To create the prototype for the ISS, we had to shrink the printer to the size of a washing machine”. This miniaturisation is needed in order to fit inside the rack in which the printer will be housed on board the ISS’ Columbus Laboratory. “At this size, we can print parts with a volume of nine centimetres high and five centimetres wide,” Girault says.
• The second challenge is safety: protecting the ISS from the aggressive printing environment caused by the laser and the heat it generates. The printer sits in a sealed metal box, which acts like a safe. The melting point of metal alloys compatible with this process can be far over 1,200°C degrees compared to around 200°C degrees for plastic, which implies drastic thermal control. 
• Metal 3D printing on board the ISS will help improve understanding of the quality of metal printing in orbit and provide valuable insights into operating a metal 3D printer in space.
• *The metal 3D printer was developed by a consortium comprising Airbus Defence and Space, AddUp, Cranfield University and Highftech Engineering, under a programme of and funded by the European Space Agency (ESA).
• Key figures: 
  • Printer size: 80 x 70 x 40 cm
  • Printed parts size: 9 x 5 cm
  • Raw Material used: stainless steel wire
  • Use: to repair or manufacture tools, mounting interfaces and mechanical parts
  • Number of parts to be printed in space: 4 specimens
  • Time needed to print a part: around 40 hours

Behind the scenes of the first metal part to be 3D-printed aboard the ISS, 2024-09-06.

First metal 3D printing on Space Station, 2024-06-03.

Anisoprint page at Factories in Space

Anisoprint is a Luxembourg-based hardware startup producing 3D Printers that allow to manufacture continuous fiber reinforced plastic parts that can substitute metal ones in aerospace, engineering and many other areas along with cutting costs and increasing productivity.

Composite fiber 3D printing in close-to-zero gravity conditions.

Continuous Fiber Coextrusion (CFC), the technology that was developed and patented by the company, allows to create lattice structures, which is the key for multimaterial optimization and production. Such parts are lighter, stronger and cheaper than their metal analogs.

On site manufacturing minimizes delivery cost and shape limitations, it also reduces the number of delivery missions. The patented Anisoprint CFC technology creates zero waste which is environmentally efficient and does not increase the amount of space debris. In addition, it is fully automated manufacturing that does not require manual labor.

Episode 42 of the Space Industry podcast is a discussion with Fedor Antonov, CEO of Anisoprint, about 3D printing in space.

Astroport Space Technologies (XArc, Exploration Architecture) page at Factories in Space

Astroport turns moon dust into bricks and materials for 3D construction printing of lunar infrastructure such as roads, habitats and landing facilities.

Astroport Space Technologies, Inc. was founded in 2020 as a technology venture arm and a subsidiary of Exploration Architecture Corporation. Astroport is developing patent-pending regolith solidification technologies for lunar infrastructure construction using 3D printing and autonomous robotics, with an initial focus on lunar landing pad emplacements.

XArc’s planetary construction subsidiary, Astroport Space Technologies, Inc., awarded NASA funding to develop lunar landing pad construction technology. Astroport was awarded a NASA Phase 1 Small Business Technology Transfer contract (STTR) for development of its lunar regolith melting technology for constructing landing pads on the Moon. Astroport and its research institution partner, The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) will jointly develop technology for an “Induction Furnace-Nozzle for Forming and Placing Lunar Regolith Bricks for Landing Pad Construction”

A division of space startup company Exploration Architecture, Astroport was recently awarded its second NASA Phase 1 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract for construction work on the Moon. Astroport, which is located at Port San Antonio, will work to develop geotechnical engineering processes as part of its joint efforts with UTSA. “This research is a natural progression of the university’s regolith liquefaction investigations, in that the Phase 1 study will develop discreet-event modeling of the bulk regolith conveyance methods to help determine feed rates for Astroport’s Lunatron bricklayer system,” Bin-Shafique said.

Astroport Space Technologies, Inc. has been awarded its second NASA Phase 1 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract for the construction of landing pads on the Moon.

• Astroport and its research partner, The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), will develop geotechnical engineering processes for "Lunar Surface Site Preparation for Landing/Launch Pad and Blast Shield Construction" with a focus on "regolith works" for bulk regolith excavation and movement. The project will build on Astroport's previous Phase 1 STTR-21 work on regolith melting technologies and robotic bricklaying system for lunar infrastructure construction.
• The new research will describe a multi-step Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for "regolith works" executed by multiple machines operating autonomously or in remote control mode with step sequencing/timing to enable machine-to-machine collaboration. In particular, it will define conveyance techniques and sorting and filtering processes to prepare and deliver excavated regolith to Astroport's Lunatron™ bricklayer system. 

Astroport Space Technologies, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas USA, and FourPoint, headquartered in Wrocław, Poland, announce they are joint signatories of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for collaboration on the construction of a lunar launch and landing pad (LLP).

• Astroport is developing patent-pending technology to melt lunar soil (regolith) to form durable lunar bricks using its LunatronTM brick-making machine. These bricks can then be used as a coating for flat surfaces such as airstrips, roads or the foundations of structures. Astroport has received separate research funding for the development of its in-furnace smelting technology, The regolithic raw material for the manufacture of bricks is acquired during the excavation and leveling phase for the preparation of the landing site. 
• For this, FourPoint will use its Autonomous Transport Platform (ATP) for the transport and delivery of sorted and filtered materials that will feed the LunatronTM brickyard. FourPoint's ATP offers a complete solution for autonomous machine operation, suitable for work in specific areas, which improves the speed and efficiency of work in surface mines, as well as other extreme environments. such as the lunar surface.

Astroport Space Technologies and its parent organization Exploration Architecture Corporation (XArc) received a combined $1.3M in NASA SBIR/STTR awards for development of extreme environment landing pad technologies, 2023-11-27.

• NASA awarded Astroport a Phase 1 SBIR to advance development of its unique Lunatron® furnace-nozzle for making bricks from molten lunar regolith (lunar soil). Bricks are used for the surface pavement in Astroport's LLP design. 
• NASA awarded Astroport's parent company, XArc, a Phase 1 STTR contract for development of an autonomous pathfinder surveying robot (Surveyorbot) to determine geotechnical characteristics of a potential landing site. The Surveyorbot will perform precursor surveying missions prior to deployment of surface construction operations, to characterize regolith handling difficulty at a selected site, such as load bearing capability, compaction and penetration depth, as well as soil settlement due to imposed loads from heavy cargo landers. 
• NASA also selected Astroport and its consortium team comprised of industry partners and academic research institutions, for a Phase 2 STTR award valued at $850,000 to refine the team's Phase 1 defined concept of operations (CONOPS) and system architecture for the LLP site preparation and construction process. A bulk regolith distribution system for hauling excavated regolith, processing at a sorting station, and sieving for feedstock production for the LLP brickmaking robots is further developed during the Phase 2 effort.

Payloads to be Launched on Upcoming SpaceX Mission to the Moon, 2023-11-21

• Five customers are releasing details of their payloads today: Argo Space, Astroport, Avalon Space, Interstellar Lab, and LifeShip. Three more customers are contracted with Astrolab but intend to release details of their payloads at a future date, closer to launch. Collectively, these eight contracts are valued at more than $160 million.
• Astroport Space Technologies of San Antonio, Texas builds infrastructure for the Moon, and intends to melt regolith to make bricks for roads, launch and landing pads, and shelters. To understand the properties of the regolith in the lunar environment, the payload will demonstrate a proof of concept for a proprietary sieving and grain separation technology that mitigates electrostatic forces inherent in the regolith. This technology will isolate the regolith grains that are ideal for manufacturing lunar bricks. FLEX’s robotic arm will collect regolith for the sieving and grain separation experiment.
• Separately, the Astroport payload also includes a limited number of personalized lunar simulant basalt bricks sold exclusively for placement on the lunar surface to mark the start of the first road on the Moon. “Our ideal customer for our personalized brick program is someone from an Artemis Accords signatory country who places an order for a brick to be made from the basalt soil of their respective country,” said Sam Ximenes, CEO, Astroport. FLEX will use its robotic arm to install these bricks to begin the construction of this initial lunar road.

Automated Dynamics page at Factories in Space

Automated Dynamics, Corp. (ADC) is a manufacturer’s representative of market leaders in factory and process automation products.

SBIR Phase I in 2015: A laser heating system (LHS) for the automated fiber placement (AFP) of thermoplastic composites (TPC) has recently been developed by Automated Dynamics to technology readiness level (TRL) three. 

Awake Aerospace page at Factories in Space

Make the inner solar system more accessible.

• Agriculture, mining, tourism, manufacturing and long-term human habitation.
• With a keen focus on Venus and enabling O'Neill structures.
• Help develop and exercise ability in order to dynamically scale the operations (if and when needed).
• Assist global military operations with mega-engineering projects. Including but not limited to: Asteroid defense (deflect/attack/other) system, shielding from a potential solar storm. As well, help develop safeguard against other larger scale (potential) disruptions.

BAE Systems page at Factories in Space

At BAE Systems, our advanced defence technology protects people and national security, and keeps critical information and infrastructure secure.

SMARTER - Space Manufacturing, Assembly and Repair Technology Exploration and Realisation

The Space Manufacturing, Assembly and Repair Technology Exploration and Realisation (SMARTER) project will investigate the technical feasibility of manufacturing in space. 

• The project will focus on how reconfigurable autonomous robotic technologies can be used to automatically manufacture components, assemble large structures, and service or repair existing space assets. The SMARTER concept, i.e. a manufacturing factory in space, could ultimately lower launch costs, the exploration of space and improve mission sustainability i.e. extend the useful life of assets launched into space.
• "Manufacturing in space has the potential to positively affect human spaceflight operations by enabling the in-orbit manufacture of replacement parts and tools, which could reduce existing logistics requirements for the International Space Station (ISS) and future long-duration human space missions. In-space manufacturing could enable space-based construction of large structures and, perhaps someday, in the future, entire spacecraft. In-space manufacturing can also help to reimagine a new space architecture that is not constrained by the design and manufacturing confines of gravity, current manufacturing processes, and launch-related structural stresses.
• Funded Value: £513 346.
• Funded Period: January 2018 - June 2020.
• Funder: Innovate UK.

Blueshift (Outward Technologies) page at Factories in Space

SEER’s primary NASA application is the fabrication of 3D printed components using concentrated solar power and regolith as the only feedstock.

Sintering End Effector for Regolith (SEER), 2021 SBIR Phase II

Outward Technologies proposes to continue development of a Sintering End Effector for Regolith (SEER) in Phase II. The SEER system enables efficient transmission (>82.2%) of Concentrated Solar Energy (CSE) for a wide range of high temperature processes including additive manufacturing, additive construction, and oxygen production on the Moon.

SEER enables heating lunar regolith to maintain a focal point temperature between 1,000-1,100°C and sintering at translation speeds of between 1-10 mm/s. SEER may be interfaced with a primary solar concentrator through a fiber optic waveguide, or through a free space optical design for dramatically improved transmission efficiencies and reduced launch mass.

The SEER design is scalable, efficient, durable, lightweight, and an ideal choice for regolith sintering and ISRU on the Moon. SEER enables continuous operation for high temperature thermochemical processes without causing damage to sensitive optics. The design is resistant to fouling from regolith dust, spallation, sputtering, and gases produced with high processing temperatures.

SEER is used to provide controlled, high temperatures for powering thermochemical processes with concentrated solar energy. SEER may be used to replace fossil fuels in high temperature thermochemical processes for industrial decarbonization at locations on Earth with abundant sunlight.

Multi-Stage Oxygen and Regolith Resource Extractor (MORRE)

June 5, 2023 - Outward Technologies has been selected for negotiation of a NASA award in the amount of $156,500 to develop a Multi-Stage Oxygen and Regolith Resource Extractor (MORRE) for refining metals from lunar soil. 

In-Space Solar Welder

April 11, 2023 - Outward Technologies has been selected for negotiation of a NASA contract in the amount of $900,000 to develop a solar welding platform for In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing of structures in space.

Solar On-Orbit Welder for Assembly, Repair, and Manufacturing, 2022 SBIR Phase II.

Solar Concentrator Unit for Low-Cost Metal Additive Manufacturing, 2020 SBIR Phase II

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project comes from the development of a concentrated solar 3D printer capable of operating on the Moon. 

Hardware for Lunar Surface Construction

April 11, 2023 - Outward Technologies has been selected for negotiation of a NASA contract in the amount of $900,000 to develop hardware for constructing infrastructure on the lunar surface using locally available resources.

Reactor for Extracting Oxygen from Lunar Soil

April 11, 2023 - Outward Technologies has been selected for negotiation of a NASA contract in the amount of $900,000 to develop lunar reactor technology for extracting oxygen from lunar soil.

Large-Scale 3D Printer for the Moon

December 15, 2022 - Outward Technologies has been awarded a Technology Enhancements for Commercial Partnership (TECP) cooperative agreement in the amount of $189,915. This cooperative agreement supports the commercialization of Outward Technologies' innovative solar thermal manufacturing system for 3D printing large-scale components on the Moon.

Lunar Surface Construction Technology

May 26, 2022 - Outward Technologies has been selected for negotiations of a NASA SBIR Phase I contract in the amount of $156,476 to develop a Lunar Articulating Mirror Array (LAMA) for constructing landing/launch pads, roadways, habitats, and other infrastructure elements on the Moon using lunar soil.

Feed and Removal of Regolith for Oxygen Extraction, 2022 SBIR Phase I

Outward Technologies proposes to develop a regolith feed and removal system for oxygen extraction from regolith with non-contact reaction temperature measurement and rapid oxygen content measurement in regolith upstream and downstream of the reaction zone. The proposed regolith feed system may be integrated with multiple oxygen extraction methods to enable continuous feed of material into and out of the reaction zone while maintaining a pressure sealed reactor chamber. This Feed and Removal of Regolith for Oxygen Extraction (FaRROE) system implements two innovations that utilize the regolith itself for sealing the inlet and outlet of the reactor chamber while maintaining continuous flow. Benefits of the proposed innovation include reactor chamber sealing using in situ materials (regolith) and minimal moving parts, non-contact reaction temperature measurement that can be used to control and optimize the oxygen extraction process, real-time O2 measurements that can indicate efficiency of the process and signal whether servicing is required, continuous processing of regolith for oxygen extraction rather than requiring a batch process, extraction process agnostic design for wide adaptability, and secondary resource utilization of extruded slag for part fabrication, long duration thermal energy storage, or for smelting and secondary refining. The Phase I effort will focus on system design, prototype development of the regolith feed and removal subsystems, and feasibility demonstrations through prototype characterization testing, system analysis, and component evaluation.

Cislune page at Factories in Space

Developing technology to accelerate humanity living on the Moon.

Cislune is building the Lunar Fuel Factory, enabling the future of space commercialization by producing and supplying crucial lunar-derived propellants and developing key technologies in lunar construction and ISRU.

Cislune is proud to be 1 of 13 US teams to win Level 1 of the NASA's Break the Ice Lunar Challenge.

Cislune Regolith Pathways and Landing Pads

• Cislune and UCF propose a site preparation architecture that relies upon in-situ resources and a small number of rovers and excavators working as a swarm to build durable lunar surfaces with size-sorted and then compacted lunar regolith. Efficient manipulation of bulk regolith via size-sorting and compaction is the most efficient architecture for lunar site preparation. We will test compaction techniques on various combinations of regolith simulant size fractions to determine the maximum strength available from compressed regolith. We will also do PSI and CFD modeling to determine requirements for landing spacecraft to determine where compressed regolith can be used.
• Site preparation will be required on the Moon and Mars as landing sites are developed for robotic and human missions. NASA is considering the lunar South Pole of the Moon with PSR’s for water ice, peaks of eternal light for power and heat, and continuous line-of-sight to the Earth for communications which will make it the focus of intensive and repeated robotic and human operations. Crew safety is significantly improved with landing pads and a reduction in ejecta.

Surface Construction - High Efficiency Sintering via Beneficiation of the Building Material

• We propose a construction system that magnetically beneficiates the soil to create a layered surface then sinters it relying on antenna near-field energy absorbance. The layering will consist of a highly microwave-susceptible, highly thermal-conductive top layer, on top of a poorly microwave-susceptible, poorly thermal-conductive sublayer. The antenna system will be optimized for magnetically dominant or electrically dominant reactive near fields as required for maximum absorbance in the beneficiated top layer. These innovations will ensure microwave energy is maximally deposited into the upper, sintering region with minimal deposition below that layer, and that it is maximally retained in that region rather than conducting deeper in the soil where temperatures do not reach sintering levels.
• The system will also use multiple wavelengths corresponding to the changing absorbance of lunar soil as a function of temperature during the heating process. The entire system (excavating, beneficiating, laying and compacting layers, and sintering) can be packaged onto a single robot for single-pass construction of landing pads and roads, or these functions can be separated into distinct excavation, beneficiation, and construction machines for larger-scale efficiency in future operations. This system will save the exploration program hundreds of millions (potentially billions) of dollars by reducing sintering energy by a factor of 2 or more, recouping the gigantic time-value of the lunar surface power systems.
• NASA can use this system to build landing pads, roads, and regolith shields over outposts on the lunar surface. Since lander blast mitigation is a major problem, there is high probability of using this system early in a lunar surface program.

Cislune has been selected for two NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and two NASA Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I grants for 2023! We've been working on innovative proposals to push the boundaries of space technology, and these grants underscore the belief in our potential to revolutionize lunar and Martian resource utilization:

• Our proposal T7.04-1097, the Refuse-to-get-stuck Rovers, emphasizes our commitment to robust and reliable mobility on the lunar surface.
• Proposal T12.08-1722, the Deflector Cone and Vented Launch Pad, brings in a creative approach to safe and sustainable launch operations.
• With Proposal Z14.02-1795, we're exploring the potential of Basalt Brackets for Truss Structures, opening doors for leveraging in situ resources in structural applications.
• And finally, Proposal Z12.01-1792 focuses on Minimizing Volatile Sublimation, a crucial consideration for resource conservation and utilization in the harsh lunar environment.

On September 25, 2023 the Cislune team completed their run of the NASA Break the Ice Challenge competition, bringing them one step closer to sustainable lunar exploration. The California space start-up tested their lunar regolith excavator for 15 long days in the Mojave desert excavating over 3280kg (7231 lbs).

Cislune Lunar Fuel Refinery and Exporter
NASA has selected the following awardees to receive $85,000 each as Round 2 winners of the 2023 NASA Entrepreneurs Challenge!

HRL Laboratories page at Factories in Space

HRL Laboratories is a corporate research-and-development laboratory owned by The Boeing Company and General Motors specializing in research into sensors and materials, information and systems sciences, applied electromagnetics, and microelectronics.

HRL Laboratories, LLC, has been selected as one of eight industry and university research teams for the Novel Orbital Moon Manufacturing, Materials, and Mass Efficient Design (NOM4D) program from the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA).

• The NOM4D program seeks to create a disruptive change in the way future space structures, such as orbital power stations or large radio frequency (RF) apertures with 100 meter diameter, are made. If successful, the extremely low energy structural forming and joining techniques developed under this program will enable much larger, more efficient structures than are possible today.
• To do this, NOM4D teams are tasked with foundational proofs of concept in materials science, manufacturing, and design technologies. These prototype structures will show a path to overcome the size constraint of launch vehicle fairings and limited in-orbit power for forming and joining of large space structures.
• Current large space structures, such as the James Webb Space Telescope, rely on deployable technology – mechanized structures that can fold, roll, or inflate – that are stowed prior to launch in a compact package and then deployed after launch to full size. “By forming materials to their final shape in space, we dispense with added structural mass needed to meet launch requirements,” said Dr. Christopher Henry, HRL’s Principal Investigator on NOM4D.
• “HRL’s HYDRIde Forming for ORbital Manufacturing (HYDRIFORM) approach leverages HRL’s multi-disciplinary capabilities, together with our team L’Garde Inc. and ALLVAR, to develop a novel in space manufacturing concept that is both size and power efficient for fabrication yet pushes the bounds of efficient space structures,” said Dr. Henry.
• HRL will demonstrate the key elements to achieve structures that can be built up from energy efficient structural members that are both formed and joined in space. These elements are: mass and power efficient forming of metallic members; and joining of metallic members in a lightweight, yet durable manner. “Both of these assembly operations have not really been explored previously and would form the basis for the ability to manufacture an arbitrarily large spacecraft structure,” adds Brian Hempe, HRL’s Lead Development Engineer.

Made In Space, a Redwire subsidiary, developed the Ceramic Manufacturing Machine (CMM) that launched to the International Space Station in October 2020. In December 2020 CMM successfully UV cured polymer resin layer-by-layer in microgravity for the first time. This material enables additive manufacturing of different polymers and ceramics at high resolution in space. This new capability would allow astronauts to rapidly print replacement parts, tools and other items, eliminating the need to bring and store spare parts and tools that might never be used. This flexibility will be critical for future missions such as a crewed mission to Mars.

• Ceramic Additive Manufacturing has been demonstrated for the first time on the International Space Station using HRL’s Pre-ceramic Resin.
• The structural parts of space infrastructure, such as solar arrays, telescopes and satellites, are currently designed to withstand the high loads at launch and end up with significant parasitic mass once deployed in space. Additive manufacturing in space could reduce by a large factor the amount of material launched to build space infrastructure. 3D printing ceramic materials is especially interesting for these applications, since ceramics are much more resistant to radiation exposure and extreme temperatures than polymers, and easier to print than lightweight metals.

ICON page at Factories in Space

Space-based construction system to support future exploration of the Moon. ICON develops advanced construction technologies that advance humanity by using 3D printing robotics, software and advanced materials.

ICON has engaged two award-winning architecture firms as partners for the audacious project: BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, renowned for their iconic international architecture and SEArch+ (Space Exploration Architecture), a company recognized on a global scale for their innovative ‘human-centered’ designs for space exploration.

Lunar Lantern, a base concept developed by ICON as part of a NASA-supported project to build a sustainable outpost on the moon. This proposal is currently being showcased as part of the 17th International Architecture Exhibition at the La Biennale di Venezia museum in Venice, Italy. The Lunar Lantern emerged from Project Olympus, a research and development program made possible thanks to a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract and funding from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Consistent with ICON's commitment to developing advanced construction technologies, the purpose of Olympus was to create a space-based construction system that will support NASA and other future exploration efforts on the moon. To realize this vision, ICON partnered with two architectural firms: the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), and Space Exploration Architecture (SEArch+). Whereas BIG is renowned for its iconic architecture and its work on multiple Lunar and Martian concepts in the past several years, SEArch+ is recognized for its "human-centered" designs for space exploration and its long-standing relationship with NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) and Langley Research Center (LRC).

ICON To Develop Lunar Surface Construction System With $57.2 Million NASA Award. ICON, a leader in advanced construction technologies and large-scale 3D printing, announced in November 2022 that it has received a contract awarded under Phase III of NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

• The nearly $60 million contract builds upon previous NASA and Department of Defense funding for ICON’s Project Olympus to research and develop space-based construction systems to support planned exploration of the Moon and beyond.
• ICON’s Olympus system is intended to be a multi-purpose construction system primarily using local Lunar and Martian resources as building materials to further the efforts of NASA as well as commercial organizations to establish a sustained lunar presence.
• In support of NASA’s Artemis program, ICON plans to bring its advanced hardware and software into space via a lunar gravity simulation flight.
• ICON also intends to work with lunar regolith samples brought back from Apollo missions and various regolith simulants to determine their mechanical behavior in simulated lunar gravity.

Lunar concept designs, created in collaboration with Bjarke Ingles Group, were released in 2020, and in November 2022 ICON was awarded a $57 million contract by NASA, which will culminate in testing on the moon.

• Instead of Lavacrete, ICON is experimenting with using lunar regolith, the mineral-rich dust and rock that covers the moon’s surface. The regolith can be melted with a laser and turned into a ceramic-like material that is hard, durable and radiation-absorbing, explained Ballard.
• Parts of the construction system have been tested in a vacuum, and will next be tested in simulated lunar gravity, before being sent to the moon in 2026 or 2027, he added. The CEO stressed there are no plans for a lunar base yet, but ICON’s tests will represent a significant step in that direction.

DARPA LunA-10 Program Study, 2023-2024

To this end, DARPA has selected 14 companies for the 10-Year Lunar Architecture (LunA-10) Capability Study, which aims to catalyze the setup of a future civil lunar framework for peaceful U.S. and international use. LunA-10 seeks to study the rapid development of technology concepts for a series of shareable, scalable systems that can operate jointly, creating monetizable services for future lunar users.

ICON’s Olympus system is a multi-purpose construction system primarily using local Lunar resources as building materials to further the efforts of NASA as well as commercial organizations to establish a sustained Lunar presence. LSIC Spring Meeting, 2024-04-25.

Lockheed Martin page at Factories in Space

We connect customers with integrated solutions & predictive technologies to ensure they stay ahead of emerging threats.

NASA has selected 11 U.S. companies to develop technologies that will support long-term exploration on the Moon and in space under its sixth Tipping Point opportunity in July 2023.

• Lockheed Martin of Littleton, Colorado, $9.1 million
• The company will demonstrate in-space component joining and inspection technologies for structural, electrical, and fluid systems. The capability would reduce risk and advance the maturity and reliability of in-space assembly architectures.

What is In-Space Joining?

Essentially, in-space joining, or ISJ, is a critical technology needed to enable in-space assembly, consisting of delivering elements to space and then robotically assembling and integrating them into much larger products and systems.

JOINS includes delivering an ISJ module payload to the ISS, integrating the payload within the Bishop Airlock, exposing the payload to the space environment while conducting joining demonstrations, and returning test articles to Earth for further study and analysis.

“As we look to build an infrastructure at the Moon, Mars and beyond, we see in-space joining demonstrations as critical to establishing necessary capabilities for future missions,” said Robert Biggs, JOINS Program Manager at Lockheed Martin. “Our ultimate goal with JOINS is to verify joining integrity for future space applications such as lunar surface infrastructure, orbital persistent platforms, and several space-system elements including antennas, solar arrays, sunshades, optical systems and radiators that will be essential to building out the lunar economy.”

Longhurst Engineering page at Factories in Space

Longhurst Engineering, PLC, and Vanderbilt University propose an in-space friction stir welding (FSW) machine for joining complex structural aluminum components.

The proposed FSW (Friction Stir Welding) machine is innovative because it can be deployed by 2 people and be used to weld complex surfaces that extend beyond linear welding applications.

The in-space FSW machine is a 3 axis system that can be mounted to work pieces of varying geometry, position, and orientation through the use of a high performance vacuum system or mechanical clamps.

The key enabler of the proposed FSW machine is a self adjusting and self aligning FSW (SAA-FSW) tool that eliminates the need for automated actuators. In addition, a collection of force reduction techniques will be included as part of the system.

When combined together, it is theorized that the effect will be significant and will lead to the advancement of FSW by reducing structural rigidity requirements of FSW machines.

Luna Innovations page at Factories in Space

In-situ polymer concrete materials.

Expanding the capability of human exploration is a primary goal for NASA and the In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) program which focuses on transforming available material resources on extraterrestrial surfaces into usable materials and products.

By identifying, collecting, and converting local resources into products that can reduce mission mass, cost, and/or risk, a sustainable manned expedition to Mars becomes closer to reality. Bulk or modified regolith can be combined with a binder as a concrete aggregate to form a construction material that can be extruded into bricks or slabs for structures, shelters, landing pads, roads, and shielding.

With this goal in mind, researchers at Luna have identified a polymer concrete formulation based on urea-formaldehyde (UF) that can be pressed into high compressive strength interlocking bricks suitable for construction. Luna's binder system can also be produced in-situ from feed gases identified by NASA (N2, H2, CO2) while generating O2 and water. If successful, these UF polymers are also expected to have additional use in the production of plastic parts or components to support mission sustainability.

In-Situ Generation of Polymer Concrete Construction Materials, 2016 SBIR Phase I.

Lunar Resources page at Factories in Space

Creating break-through technologies to facilitate the large-scale commercialization of the Moon.

Focusing on manufacturing and energy generation in the space environment utilizing space resources to create breakthrough technologies to facilitate the large-scale commercialization of the Moon.

Rhea Space Activity (RSA) and its partner Lunar Resources pitched to the Air Force a concept to deploy two spacecraft to manufacture a large mirror in space. The mirror would be installed, in orbit, into a telescope that would be used to detect hypersonic vehicles. Lunar Resources is an in-space manufacturing company that helped RSA develop the concept for how to construct a very large EO/IR mirror in space. One of the payloads would “spray paint” the optical coatings needed to make the EO/IR mirror on a small satellite dubbed Ruby Sky. At the Space Pitch Day event, the Air Force awarded Lunar Resources a $750,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 2 contract, with RSA as a subcontractor, to get the project moving.

Partners with DSTAR Communications which has established a team to create an external material processing platform on the International Space Station with autonomous, high throughput manufacturing capability. Markets for products manufactured by this facility include infrared optical fibers in medical and defense applications and ultralight solar arrays for commercial and military space platforms. The unique microgravity environment of space eliminates convection and sedimentation that occur on Earth, enabling the manufacture of premium quality materials and products with fewer defects and improved performance. In addition, the vacuum of space enables vacuum deposition in the same facility for improved reliability and improved functionality of the resulting products.

The DSTAR Communications team includes partners FOMS of San Diego, California, Visioneering Space of Boise, Idaho, and Lunar Resources of Houston.

Lunar South Pole Oxygen Pipeline

Lunar Resources, the pioneering space industrial company, and Wood, a global leader in consulting and engineering with market-leading expertise in terrestrial pipeline transportation systems, have been awarded a grant by NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program. This award funds a feasibility study for the Lunar South Pole Oxygen Pipeline (LSPoP), a pipeline at the South Pole of the Moon to transport gaseous oxygen from an extraction site to a proposed future Lunar base.

Molten Regolith Electrolysis

• Colorado School of Mines researchers get $2M from NASA to advance technology for extracting aluminum from lunar soil.
• Molten regolith electrolysis – which processes melted lunar soil to extract the metals within – is one of the leading processes for in situ resource utilization of lunar metals and oxygen
• Industry partner Lunar Resources will provide the MRE reactors and casting technology for turning the extracted molten aluminum metal into a wire. The two-year project will culminate in end-to-end testing at Lunar Resources’ Texas facility.
• SBIR Phase II:Protoflight Design and Validation of Molten Regolith Electrolysis Facility For Lunar In-Situ Resource Utilization

Silicon and Iron Regolith Extraction on the Moon (SIRE)

• Lunar Resources, Inc., Houston: Silicon and Iron Regolith Extraction on the Moon (SIRE)

In-Situ Casting of Standard Structural Elements on the Moon (ICSE), 2023

Lunar Resources proposes to NASA SBIR program the In-Situ Casting of Standard Structural Elements on the Moon (ICSE) program to mature a process to cast standard lunar extracted ISRU metal structural elements on the Moon without earth-based consumables. The goal of the effort is to develop the capability of casting in-situ produced metals into truss elements to produce trusses with varying widths, lengths, and thicknesses. The focus of the effort is to mature the equipment and production process to efficiently produce truss elements without any consumables from Earth. Furthermore, the equipment and process will be matured for casting of other metals, such as iron, to produce other structural element geometries.

In-Space Manufacturing and Servicing of High Emissivity Coatings for Satellite Servicing and Spacecraft Life Extension Applications, 2020 STTR Phase I

Lunar Resources , Inc., the corporate spinout of the NASA Wake Shield Facility program and technology leaders of in-space vacuum deposition, proposes with University of Houston to adapt LR’s space deposition system to manufacture high emissivity coatings on-orbit for USAF satellite servicing and space craft life extension missions. It is recognized that passive thermal systems present one of the largest barriers for satellite servicing as their emissive coatings degrade overtime due to the space environment. To overcome this challenge, we propose to fabricate these coatings directly on-orbit during nominal satellite servicing/refueling missions. The proposed effort will lay the foundation to repair and update degraded thermal systems on spacecraft to enable greater resiliency and lifetime of the USAF space fleet. 

Magna Parva (Kleos Space, In-Space Manufacturing) page at Factories in Space

Developing a patented in-space manufacturing system that will provide a method of producing huge carbon composite 3D structures in space.

Developing a patented in-space manufacturing system that will provide a method of producing huge carbon composite 3D structures in space.

Conducting a six-month test in 2021 of technology for in-space manufacturing of large 3D carbon fiber structures that could be used to construct solar arrays, star shades and interferometry antennas. Kleos has been designing and developing in-space manufacturing technology called Futrism to robotically produce a carbon-fiber I-beam with embedded fiber-optic cables that is more than 100 meters long.

A prototype COPMA system has been successfully built and tested under ‘near space’ conditions at Magna Parva’s Leicester development facility. It demonstrates the potential for the production of assemblies, equipment or even buildings from fully cured and consolidated carbon fibre materials, potentially miles in length. Magna Parva’s innovative technology enables the deployment of extremely large, repeatable, composite structures. Radio antennae, synthetic aperture radar systems and radio / optical interferometers are examples of items that are feasible to make in space using the COPMA system.

The new precision robotic technology manufactures 3D space structures using a supply of carbon fibres and a resin that are processed by pultrusion through a heat forming die in a continuous process, producing cured carbon composite elements of extraordinary length. As the resin and materials behave differently in space, the development has included testing under both ambient atmospheric and vacuum conditions. While pultrusion itself is an established manufacturing process, it has now been scaled down to a size where the equipment can be accommodated on spacecraft, and further work is under way to advance the technical readiness of the concept.

COPMA stands for ‘Consolidated Off Planet Manufacturing and Assembly System for Large Space Structures’, and allows the fabrication in space of large structures that would be difficult to produce on Earth due to limitations at launch. Current pre-manufactured structures designed to go into space are high in mass and volume and have specific launch environment requirements. By manufacturing in space, many of these requirements are eliminated, allowing the production and deployment of extremely large composite structures. They can be made much thinner, larger and use less material than they would need if terrestrially produced, avoiding the rigours of launch.

In-Space Manufacturing (Kleos Space, Magna Parva) has developed a patented in-Space manufacturing system that will provide a method of producing huge carbon composite 3D structures in space. A prototype system has been successfully built and tested under ‘near space’ conditions at our development facility. It demonstrates the potential for the production of assemblies, equipment or even buildings from fully cured and consolidated carbon fibre materials, potentially miles in length. Patented (GB2500786B) precision robotic technology manufactures 3D space structures using a supply of carbon fibres and a resin that are processed by pultrusion through a heat forming die in a continuous process, producing cured carbon composite elements of extraordinary length that also encompass intelligent elements such as sensors, fibre optics or wiring. As the resin and materials behave differently in space, the development has included testing under both ambient atmospheric and vacuum conditions. While pultrusion itself is an established manufacturing process, it has now been scaled down to a size where the equipment can be accommodated on spacecraft, and further work is under way to advance the technical readiness of the concept. Manufacturing speed of prototype system is 1mm/s, equating to 1 mile of structure per 18 days.

Maxar (SSL) page at Factories in Space

For more than two decades, Maxar robotics have empowered innovative commercial and government programs, including robotic arms on six of NASA’s Mars rovers and landers, which rely on Maxar robotic arms to dig, drill, sample and explore the Martian surface.

Involvement in NASA’s Restore-L mission to refuel the almost 20-year-old Landsat-7 satellite.

Maxar Technologies’ Space Systems Loral division terminated an agreement to build DARPA’s Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites spacecraft Jan. 30, leading to a potential recompete of the program.

Maxar said it also canceled a contract with Space Infrastructure Services, a company it created that would have commercialized the RSGS servicer after a DARPA demonstration, starting with an in-orbit refueling mission for fleet operator SES.

On-orbit satellite assembly - Spider

In partnership with NASA, our Space Infrastructure Dexterous Robot (SPIDER) program will demo on-orbit assembly and reconfiguration services of spacecraft components. This will reduce the need to launch fully-assembled systems and enable deployment of larger, more powerful components for advanced operations.

On-orbit satellite servicing - OSAM-1

Maxar was building the spacecraft bus and robotic arms for NASA’s OSAM-1 program, which will refuel and relocate a satellite on-orbit. Adaptable and resilient, the robotic arms are designed to capture, manipulate and refuel satellites that were not originally designed for servicing.

NASA shuts down $2 billion OSAM-1 satellite refueling project after contractor Maxar is criticized for poor performance, CNBC, 2024-03-01.

• The space agency said in a statement that the OSAM-1 — On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 — project was being discontinued after nearly a decade of work.
• NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland was leading the work on OSAM-1, with Maxar Space Systems as the project’s prime contractor under multiple deals. OSAM-1 has been in development since 2015, with the goal of docking with the U.S.-owned Landsat 7 imagery satellite in orbit, to repair and refuel the aging spacecraft to extend its life.

In-space transportation - Power and propulsion element

The first component for the NASA-led Gateway, a lunar orbiting module, will be the Maxar-built Power and Propulsion Element. This element will power the Gateway, maintain its position, and enable critical communications, which will support human missions on the moon and to Mars in the future.

Maxar is designing the Power Propulsion Element to host a variety of external interfaces for future docking, robotics and science payloads.

Space exploration - SAMPLR

The first robotic arm to return to the moon in over 50 years will be Maxar’s SAMPLR, or Sample Acquisition, Morphology Filtering, and Probing of Lunar Regolith. It will be part of our payload for NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to send the first woman and next man to the moon by 2024.

Mitsubishi Electric page at Factories in Space

Has developed an on-orbit, additive-manufacturing technology that uses photosensitive resin and solar ultraviolet light for the 3D printing of satellite antennas in the vacuum of outer space.

Has developed an on-orbit, additive-manufacturing technology that uses photosensitive resin and solar ultraviolet light for the 3D printing of satellite antennas in the vacuum of outer space.

The novel technology makes use of a newly developed liquid resin that was custom formulated for stability in vacuum. The resin enables structures to be fabricated in space using a low-power process that uses the sun’s ultraviolet rays for photopolymerization.

The technology specifically addresses the challenge of equipping small, inexpensive spacecraft buses with large structures, such as high-gain antenna reflectors, and enables on- orbit fabrication of structures that greatly exceed the dimensions of launch vehicle fairings. Resin-based, on-orbit manufacturing is expected to enable spacecraft structures to be made thinner and lighter than conventional designs, which must survive the stresses of launch and orbital insertion, thereby reducing both total satellite weight and launch costs.

The company has so far only demonstrated how the technology works in simulated space-like conditions in a test chamber. Mitsubishi researchers printed an antenna dish 6.5 inches (16,5 centimeters) wide that performed in tests just as well as a conventional satellite antenna. 

Nanoracks (Voyager Space) page at Factories in Space

Nanoracks is the leading provider of commercial access to space with a global customer base

In-Space Manufacturing

Nanoracks just made space construction and manufacturing history with the first demonstration of cutting metal in orbit. 

Outpost Mars Demo-1
Voyager and Nanoracks are excited to announce that our first Outpost demonstration mission (Outpost Mars Demo-1) is expected to launch this month aboard SpaceX’s Transporter 5 rideshare flight. This mission is part of our Outpost Program, which is focused on transforming used launch vehicle upper stages into uncrewed, controllable platforms. Nanoracks designed a self-contained hosted payload platform to demonstrate on-orbit, debris-free, robotic metal cutting.

• Our partner in this demonstration, Maxar Technologies, developed a new robotic arm with a friction milling end-effector. Friction milling uses a cutting tool operating at high rotations per minute to melt the metal in such a way that a cut is made, and no debris is generated. Maxar’s robotic cutter is equipped with thermal sensors and cameras, and once in space,
• Nanoracks and Maxar will have up to one hour to complete the cutting of three metal pieces, made of corrosion resistant steel (the same material that is used on the outer shell of ULA’s Vulcan Centaur) without creating any debris in the process. The demonstration itself will occur about 9 minutes into flight and will be finished approximately 10 minutes later. The rest of the time the team will downlink the photos and video to the ground stations until the vehicle and hosted payloads de-orbit over the Pacific.

Maritime Launch Services and Houston-based Nanoracks have signed an agreement to work on repurposing the upper stages of MLS's rockets — the parts of the vehicle that contained fuel and are released as it climbs into orbit. The company plans to use Cyclone 4M rockets, designed by Ukrainian company Yuzhnoye and manufactured by Yuzhmash.

Nanoracks made space construction and manufacturing history with the first demonstration of cutting metal in orbit. The technique could be critical for the next generation of large-scale space stations and even lunar habitats.

• The experiment was performed back in May by Nanoracks and its parent company Voyager Space, after getting to orbit aboard the SpaceX Transporter 5 launch. The company only recently released additional details on Friday.
• The goal of Outpost Mars Demo-1 mission was to cut a piece of corrosion-resistant metal, similar to the outer shell of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur and common in space debris, using a technique called friction milling.
• It was conducted in partnership with Maxar Technologies, who developed the robotic arm that executed the cut. That arm used a commercially available friction milling end effector, and the entire structure was contained in the Outpost spacecraft to ensure that no debris escaped. Indeed, one of the main goals of the demonstration was to produce no debris — and it worked.
• Using a technique called friction milling, the robotic arm used a commercial cutting tool at a high speed to soften the metal while cutting it and reducing debris. The enclosure that held the robotic arm and metal samples was on a Nanoracks circuit.

OffWorld page at Factories in Space

We are developing a robotic workforce for heavy industrial jobs on Earth, Moon, asteroids & Mars.

OffWorld’s robots measure around two feet in length, weigh around 53 kilos, and boast a power capacity of around 13.5 kWh. They are designed to be small and robust enough to neatly pack into and survive launches on rockets. Care has been paid to making sure they will be able to operate in a variety of non-Earth environments, including the moon, Mars and even the surface of asteroids without requiring a major redesign.

OffWorld Robotic Lunar Mining CONOPS for NASA Break the Ice Challenge 2021.

Joined Team L3 for the Phase 2 of the NASA Space Robotics Challenge! Team L3 and OffWorld will develop software solutions to enable a team of up to six rovers to explore a virtual simulation of the Lunar South Pole, find regions with high concentrations of volatiles, excavate those from the regolith and transport them to the processing plants.

The newly established OffWorld Europe is being run by Managing Director, Kyle Acierno, former CEO of ispace U.S. Kyle is an international expert in commercial space and a specialist in lunar exploration. OffWorld Europe will begin its first program on a multi-year program that focuses on developing and deploying modules for the extraction and storage of oxygen and hydrogen from volatiles and water deposits at the lunar surface. This will include mating modules to OffWorld’s robotic technologies for cohesive lunar deployment.

We're taking orders for our first deployments of Swarm Robotic Mining applications of all-electric collaborative modular robots. Now we can mine minerals whilst taking people out of harm's way and fighting climate change. Step into the future with us and learn more about our AI-powered multi-robot operations in extreme and hard-to-access ore bodies

ISRU

OffWorld Europe and the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA) have recently signed a pivotal agreement to launch a comprehensive, multi-year development program for an In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) processing system focused on ice resources. This system will play a vital role in facilitating sustainable lunar exploration by enabling the extraction, processing, and storage of vital resources directly from the Moon's surface.

The project, which is under the oversight of the European Space Agency, will leverage OffWorld's cutting-edge robotic modules that are capable of carrying out a range of functions, including prospecting, mining, processing, storing and delivering oxygen, hydrogen, and other volatiles to customers on the lunar surface. The program is already underway, and the first demonstration mission on the lunar surface is slated for 2027.

OHB page at Factories in Space

The systems specialist OHB System AG is one of the leading independent forces in European space.

Additive Manufacturing

Starting in 2014, both OHB Systems and BEEVERYCREATIVE participated in a consortium to pursue the Manufacturing of Experimental Layer Technology (MELT) project for ESA. The goal of this project was to design a fully functional AM breadboard model that could work in microgravity environments and use engineering polymers such as PEEK. In May 2018, the MELT 3D printer prototype was delivered to ESA, which became Europe’s first 3D printer for space.

IMPERIAL Additive Manufacturing Project

Capable of 3D printing parts much larger than itself, the new machine dubbed IMPERIAL overcomes one of the main constraints of current off-Earth 3D printers, limited build volume. The project was undertaken for ESA by a consortium led by German space technology firm OHB SE, with Berlin-based space engineering company Azimut Space; the Athlone Institute of Technology in Ireland, and Portuguese 3D printer manufacturers BEEVERYCREATIVE. Now that the ground-based prototype is complete, the next step would be to test it in orbit aboard the ISS.

The IMPERIAL project is not the only additive manufacturing-related initiative that OHB System and ESA are collaborating on. In fact, the company’s Human Spaceflight department has worked with the space agency for the past three years on 3D printing applications for space exploration. One of the more notable projects is ESA’s plan to 3D print a Lunar Base. OHB System reportedly helped to conceive of the project and put together the corresponding study.

A ground-based prototype for a new microgravity 3D printer is now complete and awaits deployment to the International Space Station (ISS) for testing. Capable of 3D printing parts much larger than itself, the new machine dubbed IMPERIAL overcomes one of the main constraints of current off-Earth 3D printers, limited build volume.

Breaking boundaries: A 3D Printer taking space manufacturing beyond limits, 2024-01-26.

Opterus page at Factories in Space

Opterus Research and Development is a fast-growing provider of critical spacecraft components and deployable spacecraft structures.

Developing Tubular Truss Additive Manufacturing (TTAM) for mass efficient truss structures manufactured in space. Our Tensioned Precision Structures (TPS) offer new design paradigms for in-space manufacturing of large space structures.

Opterus designs and fabricates massive composite space structures that fit in extremely small payloads, which later expand in space. As an example, Opterus can fit 40m (131.2 ft) rigid structural supports, known as Trussed Collapsible Tubular Masts (TCTM), into shoebox-size packages. With a mass of just 6.5 kg, Opterus provides a feasible and cost-effective means for sending large solar arrays, reflectors, antennas, and other structures to space.

DARPA Kicks Off Program to Explore Space-Based Manufacturing. Opterus Research and Development, Inc., Loveland, Colorado, will develop designs for extreme mass efficient large-scale structures optimized for resiliency and mobility, 2022-03-23.

• During Phase 1, program performers are tasked to meet stringent structural efficiency targets supporting a megawatt-class solar array.
• In Phase 2, teams are tasked to increase mass efficiency and demonstrate precision manufacturing for radio frequency (RF) reflectors. In the final phase, performers are tasked to demonstrate precision for infrared (IR) reflectors.

Tubular Truss Additive Manufacturing (TTAM)

Opterus is developing the Tubular Truss Additive Manufacturing (TTAM) architecture. In a patent pending process, TTAM uses collapsible tubular masts (CTMs) to fabricate high performance trusses in lengths exceeding 1 kilometer. Key features of the technology are structural mass efficiency, volumetric efficiency, high dimensional stability, rapid low energy in-space fabrication, and reusability. TTAM trusses are expected to be 10 times lighter weight that current state of the art deployable structures because: 

1. they achieve the form of a truss of thin-walled tubes, which is the most structurally efficiency form and 
2. they use the highest performance materials, carbon fiber composites. 

CTMs for TTAM are low-cost roll-to-roll pultruded booms that can be flattened and roll stowed for extreme volumetric efficiency; the CTM feed stock for a 100m truss is expected to occupy less than 1 ft3 volume. 

TTAM’s baseline fastening approach is a custom mechanical fastener that is readily installed and also removable to enable structure reuse and recycling. The fastener also provides an attachment point for payloads and utilities. The TTAM architecture does not use heat or time dependent curing processes; the CTMs are deformed elastically and the fasteners are mechanical features. 

As a result, in space manufacturing can proceed at a high speed and with very low energy input. Truss fabrication rates on the order of meters per hour are expected. 

Tensioned Precision Structures (TPS)

Opterus is developing Tensioned Precision Structures (TPS) to achieve extremely high structural mass efficiency and resiliency apertures manufactured in space. TPSs use tension, not structural depth, to achieve dimensional stability. As a result, they minimize thermal deformations while achieving a very simple architecture. The basic architecture is a circular ring truss that tensions a network of cables within the ring. The cable network forms an effective membrane reference surface of extremely low mass and high precision.

The tensioned disc architecture is a compromise between resiliency, simplicity and mass efficiency and results from decades of experience solving the challenges of large space structures. With TPS, the ring truss is first fabricated in orbit bay by bay using Opterus’ patent pending TTAM architecture until a full ring is formed. Second, the cable network will be installed. Installation is notionally performed by autonomous robotic spacecraft that move along the ring truss and fastens cables to attachment points. The operational surface is then attached to the cable network. Where parabolic surfaces are needed, stand-offs are installed to actively shape the surface. 

Optomec page at Factories in Space

Optomec, a leading global supplier of production-grade additive manufacturing systems for 3D printed electronics and 3D printed metals, announced in 2017 that the company was awarded a NASA SBIR contract for the further development of an Adaptive Laser Sintering System (ALSS).

Announced in 2017 that the company was awarded a NASA SBIR contract for the further development of an Adaptive Laser Sintering System (ALSS).

The success of this endeavor will enable electronic circuitry to be printed onto a wider variety of temperature sensitive substrates expanding its use for production applications. The fully automated system will also enable printed circuitry to be repaired or manufactured with minimal human intervention paving the way for its use in long duration NASA space missions.

Working in conjunction with Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, this project will enhance Optomec laser sintering technology to a fully automated curing system for printed electronics. The Optomec-Harding team seeks to enhance the localized laser sintering concept by developing an ALSS with in-situ automated adjustment of laser power and processing time. This will pave the way for the use of this advanced technology in the next generation of human space exploration and also expand production use of printed electronics to a broader range of temperature sensitive substrates used in commercial applications.

The success of this endeavor could prove to be of vital importance to NASA’s in-space, on-demand manufacturing capabilities to support the unique challenges of long-duration human spaceflight. The developed automated, in-line quality control system with ALSS will meet the requirements for long-duration human space missions with minimal need for astronaut intervention. This will allow NASA to print conformal electronics and sensors onto flexible substrates of various geometrical complexities and then fully cure them using Aerosol Jet technology, all while in space.

“After the successful design, test and implementation of ALSS, the science and technology of laser sintering will be better understood for controllable adaptive operations” said Optomec CTO, Mike Renn. “ALSS can be a key solution to NASA’s challenge of in-space, on-demand manufacturing capabilities to support the unique challenges of long-duration human spaceflight, which requires an automated adaptive in-line quality control system along with the associated manufacturing process.”

Edmond Wilson, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry at Harding University says “Harding University is excited to help develop a robust, intuitive Adaptive Laser Sintering System (ALSS) with OPTOMEC, Inc., the inventor and international leader in 3D Aerosol Jet Printing. Successful development of laser assisted drying and sintering of 3D printed electronics will greatly reduce the production time for 3D printed electronics devices and substantially reduce the need for human intervention. We look forward to mentoring student researchers and help them jump start their careers by tackling cutting edge technology problems. Additionally, we know NASA is interested in automated 3D electronics printing for long duration space missions and look forward to work with OPTOMEC to meet that goal.”

Orbital Matter page at Factories in Space

We are working on a 3D Printing technology to be used in open space and on celestial bodies to manufacture large elements of space infrastructure.

At Orbital Matter, we aim at becoming the first construction company in space. We are working on a 3D Printing technology to be used directly in orbit, on the Moon and on Mars to manufacture large elements of space infrastructure e.g., walls for space stations, moon habitats and SBSP reflectors. Our early stage product is a deployable system for satellites up to 20x more efficient than existing solutions.

Orbital Matter is developing a spacecraft equipped with a 3D printer to manufacture ultra-light and cost-effective satellite parts and space infrastructure in-orbit. 

Won the Once Upon a RIDE!/ESA PUSH initiative, securing the chance to launch our 3D printer demonstrator aboard the maiden flight of Ariane 6.

Orbital Matter Secures Over €1 Million in Financing to Propel In-Space Manufacturing Innovation, 2023-12-13.

• Orbital Matter, a Polish-German pioneer in space technology, announces the successful close of over €1 Million in its pre-seed funding round. The investment was led by deep tech VC Sunfish Partners, followed by participation from Dhyan VC, alongside angel investors. 
• This significant funding marks a transformative moment for Orbital Matter as it accelerates its mission to revolutionize in-space manufacturing. Among the company’s ambitious projects, Orbital Matter is developing a spacecraft equipped with a 3D printer to manufacture ultra-light and cost-effective satellite parts and space infrastructure in-orbit. 
• Orbital Matter will focus on demonstrating its technology in microgravity and advancing towards an in-orbit demonstration, while partnering up with the industry leaders. This pragmatic approach ensures Orbital Matter’s technology aligns seamlessly with the expectations of future customers, marking a crucial milestone in its commitment to delivering innovative solutions in the field of in-space manufacturing.
• In September 2023, Orbital Matter signed a MoU with Thales Alenia Space, a joint-venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), to join their industrial accelerator within the Space Business Catalyst, assessing in that way technical, commercial, networking and funding support, and a unique opportunity to build strategic partnerships with a legacy industry player. This agile structure, operating out of Thales Alenia Space’s facilities in Toulouse and Turin, fosters the shaping of future, disruptive markets and the development of solutions and technologies with the potential to create new business opportunities for all parties.

Ariane 6 launches: Replicator – 3D printing in open space, 2024-05-16.

• The Replicator mission, from Warsaw, Poland, and Berlin, Germany, based startup Orbital Matter, will launch on Ariane 6 to demonstrate a new 3D printing technology in orbit, potentially opening the door to new space structures that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise, made using fewer resources.
• Orbital Matter has already demonstrated that their 3D printing technology works in a vacuum on Earth, but with the Ariane 6 first launch, they will perform their first in-space demonstration: their three-unit CubeSat (10x10x30 cm) will print a 50 cm-long beam while at an altitude of 580 km, out of a custom polymer material.

Planetary Sunshade Foundation page at Factories in Space

A planetary sunshade could be the best solution for solar radiation management. We support research developing space technology for climate restoration.

A Planetary Sunshade is a space megastructure at Sun-Earth Lagrange 1 (SEL-1) could prevent the climate from experiencing a devastating temperature rise. It could also produce clean energy for use in space or on Earth.

This report is an introduction to the concept of space-based geoengineering, or a planetary sunshade. A sunshade could complement existing efforts to mitigate the climate crisis. The report is intended for policy makers who are discussing climate overshoot scenarios. 

Planetoid Mines Company page at Factories in Space

Planetoid Mines is a privately owned mineral extraction services company who has patented a novel In-Situ Mining and In-Situ Resouce Utilization technology for terrestrial and off-world excavation operations.

Planetoid Mines mission is to engineer and manufacture the latest aerospace propulsion technology and attach it to an asteroid capturing platform to redirect the asteroid back to Earth’s cislunar orbit for the extraction of raw materials used in the manufacturing of spaceports and spacecraft.

Primary focus is developing the core components of asteroid mining. Many of their instruments and tools will be compatible with mining applications on the lunar surface and on Earth. Planetoid Mines intends to have their first lunar prospecting rover ready to launch and land near the lunar south pole in 2022. They are developing their own powered descent and landing vehicle and have not yet announced a launch provider.

The first complete "in-situ resource utilization" technology on the market. Our self-contained system provides end-to-end continuous mining operations with multiple excavator heads, mineral concentration through beneficiation, a pyrometallurgy oven and thermal printing head. Using lunar surface minerals the system can print landing pads, extrude fused quartz rods, large antenna arrays, etc. ISRU platform designed to fit most lunar landers.

Planetoid Mines is introducing our Lunar Mining and Manufacturing Rover. Submitted to NASA's Break the Ice Challenge. Continuously excavates 190 kg/m of regolith producing 7.42 kg/m water and icy regolith producing 18.5 kg/m water. "Benny and the Jets" concentrates 25.9 kg/m of Iron particles and 7.4 kg/m Titanium. 20.3 kg/m of CaO is calcinated to limestone. 83 kg/m of SiO2 is further refined to semi-conductor grade.

New focus on our lead in the Cislunar Ecosystem for Space Logistics and Lunar Infrastructure, including four core areas (Cislunar Space Logistics, Lunar Data Center Network, Robotics + AI, and Lunar Facilities) that we will inherently develop on our path to fielding the first lunar facility.

Selected to proceed with manufacturing and construction of a Lunar Excavation Vehicle as part of NASA's Break The Ice Lunar Challenge.

NASA Centennial Challenge 2022-2024 Break the Ice - Phase 2

• Develop a Lunar Excavating Vehicle
• Level 1 - System Architecture - Nov 2022
• Level 2 - Full scale Prototype Durability Test - Oct 2023
• Level 3 - 15-day NASA Lunar Test Track Competition - May 2024

Raven Space Systems page at Factories in Space

Our mission is to 3D print entire reentry capsules for high cadence and low-cost cargo return from space.

Raven's patent-pending in-situ curing direct ink write technology enables 3D printing of high performance thermoset composites. This unique approach will unlock high-cadence return to advance the low Earth orbit economy.

APPLICATIONS

• Specimen return
• In-space manufacturing
• Microgravity experimentation
• Space station resupply & return
• Rapid global delivery of supplies

PROJECTS

• SBIR/STTR Funding - Awarded over $1M in contracts to date.
• AFWERX Phase II Aerospace Structures - 3D printing epoxy matrix carbon fiber.
• NASA Phase I Thermal Protection System (TPS) - 3D printing reentry vehicle heat shield materials.

Raven Space Systems has been awarded in 2024 a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Phase I SBIR grant for $275k to conduct R&D on 3D printing of high-temperature composite materials using Raven's patented Microwave Assisted Deposition (MAD) technology.

Raven Space Systems has been awarded an STTR Phase II contract worth 1.8 million US dollars by AFWERX in late 2024.

Redwire (Made in Space) page at Factories in Space

Redwire Space is accelerating humanity’s expansion into space by delivering reliable, economical, and sustainable infrastructure for future generations.

3D Printer - Additive Manufacturing Facility

Made in Space pioneered manufacturing capabilities in space with its first- and second-generation 3D printers, with on-orbit operations dating back to 2014.

The Additive Manufacturing Facility (AMF) is the first permanent commercial manufacturing platform to operate in low Earth orbit.

• AMF is our flagship technology onboard the ISS and its versatility and durability have made it a reliable resource for government and commercial customers since its activation in 2016.
• It has produced over 200 tools, assets, and parts in orbit. AMF’s legacy has been the foundation for our technology roadmap and manufacturing programs as Made In Space develops new capabilities that will leverage additive manufacturing in space for unprecedented applications.

Redwire to Demonstrate In-Space Additive Manufacturing for Lunar Surface on the International Space Station.

• RRP is a technology demonstration mission, developed in partnership with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.
• The mission will demonstrate autonomous, on-orbit 3D printing with regolith feedstock material using Redwire’s Additive Manufacturing Facility currently aboard the ISS.
• Redwire will launch three custom-design 3D printing heads and three print bed surfaces on NG-16 to support RRP’s on-orbit operations.

Redwire Regolith Print (RRP) -  The Made In Space Manufacturing Device (ManD) 

The Redwire Regolith Print (RRP) demonstrates 3D printing with regolith feedstock material in microgravity using the Made In Space Manufacturing Device currently aboard the International Space Station. This demonstration could help determine the feasibility of using resources available on planetary bodies as the raw materials for on-demand construction of housing and other structures. This capability reduces the amount of materials needed on future exploration missions, thus reducing launch mass.

The Redwire Regolith Print (RRP) project is a technology demonstration of on-orbit 3D printing using regolith feedstock material. The Made In Space Manufacturing Device (ManD) provides the necessary 3D printing capabilities, and it is currently aboard the space station. RRP consists of extruders and print beds designed specifically to use regolith-based materials and integrate with the ManD printer. The primary objective of performing the print operations is to successfully demonstrate the manufacturing process capability in microgravity. The secondary objective of the print operations is to produce material samples for scientific analysis.
 
The standard test methods selected for analyzing the printed material are ASTM D695-15 for compressive strength, ASTM D638-14 for tentile strength, and ASTM D790-17 for flexural strength. Three samples are printed on orbit, one each for extracting the corresponding specimens of the ASTM tests. These test standards are used for this mission due to their applicability to the test material, the geometry of their required specimens, and their minimum required sample sizes. The standards chosen allow for a full specimen set to be extracted from a single print. The purpose of the selection criteria is to obtain all specimens for a particular test standard from the same source material sample.

Redwire (Made in Space) page at Factories in Space

Redwire Space is accelerating humanity’s expansion into space by delivering reliable, economical, and sustainable infrastructure for future generations.

OSAM-2 (Archinaut One)

The OSAM-2 mission will demonstrate in-space manufacturing capabilities that could revolutionize the space infrastructure landscape in low-Earth orbit and beyond.” The CDR marks the end of the design phase for the On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing 2 (OSAM-2) mission and the beginning of the process of building and verifying flight hardware.

• OSAM-2, also known as Archinaut One, is a $73.7 million contract between Redwire and NASA signed in 2019. OSAM-2 is a technology demonstration mission funded by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and is scheduled to launch no earlier than 2023.
• Redwire’s Trailblazing OSAM-2 Mission Passes Critical NASA Milestone.
• OSAM-2 (Archinaut) was concluded without a space flight as of late 2023.

Made In Space, Inc. (MIS) proposes the construction of large baseline structures, 15 meters or greater, for infrared space interferometry missions by autonomous in-space manufacturing and assembly. This enables the deployment of large primary trusses unconstrained by launch load or volume restrictions that meet science requirements for the high angular resolutions (less than 0.3 arcseconds) necessary to detect planets near bright stars and measure individual objects in star clusters.

In this Phase I effort, MIS investigates the mass, performance, and mission planning benefits of in-space manufacturing for structurally-connected interferometers (SCI). MIS is the leading developer of manufacturing technologies in the space environment. Utilizing technologies derived from Archinaut, a NASA Tipping Point 2015 award winner, large infrastructure can be manufactured on orbit and enable a multitude of missions.

Optimast is a self-contained, scalable machine for producing microgravity-optimized linear structures on-orbit, developed as a product application of the Archinaut technologies. MIS has developed Optimast to a TRL-6 with successful thermal vacuum testing of extended structure manufacturing in 2017.

Relativity Space page at Factories in Space

We believe in a future where interplanetary life fundamentally expands the possibilities for human experience. In realizing this audacious vision, our long-term goal is to upgrade humanity’s industrial base on Earth and on Mars.

“We want to lead and work on building humanity’s industrial base on Mars,” Ellis said. “That really stems from the 3D-printing technology, which which we can actually start [delivering to Mars] by launching smaller pieces.”

• His goal is similar to Elon Musk’s with SpaceX, although Relativity isn’t focused on launching people. Instead, Ellis sees Relativity helping build on Mars by initially sending a small 3D-printer for “the first object manufactured on another planet by humanity,” which is “the future that we’re going towards.”
• To Ellis, additive manufacturing is “inevitably required to build an industrial base on Mars.

Relativity Space submitted a proposal for NASA's Commercial Space Station CLD Program. The company had not disclosed plans for a commercial space station and the source selection statement offers few details beyond a “reusable and returnable lab with a return capability.” Tim Ellis, chief executive of Relativity, told SpaceNews Jan. 31 that the company has a “very early concept” on how the upper stage of its Terran R vehicle could be used as a commercial LEO destination, but declined to go into details. 

Launch vehicle startup Relativity Space and in-space transportation company Impulse Space jointly announced July 19 they are working on a robotic Mars lander they anticipate launching as soon as the late 2024 window for missions from Earth to Mars. Impulse would be responsible for building the lander itself as well as the cruise stage and entry capsule. Relativity would launch the spacecraft on the Terran R reusable rocket it is developing.

Rhea Space Activity (RSA) page at Factories in Space

Rhea Space Activity and Lunar Resources pitched to the Air Force a concept to deploy two spacecraft to manufacture a large mirror in space.

Rhea Space Activity (RSA) and its partner Lunar Resources pitched to the Air Force a concept to deploy two spacecraft to manufacture a large mirror in space.

• The mirror would be installed, in orbit, into a telescope that would be used to detect hypersonic vehicles.
• Lunar Resources is an in-space manufacturing company that helped RSA develop the concept for how to construct a very large EO/IR mirror in space. O
• ne of the payloads would “spray paint” the optical coatings needed to make the EO/IR mirror on a small satellite dubbed Ruby Sky.
• At the Space Pitch Day event, the Air Force awarded Lunar Resources a $750,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 2 contract, with RSA as a subcontractor, to get the project moving.

Rhea Space Activity to develop cislunar space ‘dashboard’ for U.S. Air Force.
 

RUBY SKY

The RUBY SKY initiative is a ground-breaking, first-of-its-kind project designed to aid the United States and its allies in the detection of “hypersonics,” as near-peer competitors move rapidly toward the development and deployment of hypersonic missile capabilities. Hypersonics represent one of the greatest strategic threats facing the U.S. and its Five Eyes, NATO and Pacific-region partners, and the U.S. defense and intelligence establishments have lauded RSA’s RUBY SKY as a viable, efficient and holistic solution to this looming international challenge.

**The RUBY SKY project functionally and completely envisions a holistic solution to the hypersonic threat, starting with an innovative space-based optical manufacturing process, combined with origami-like structures to detect hypersonic vehicles within a small-satellite form factor. **

The aim of RUBY SKY is to cast the brightest of ‘spotlights’ over vulnerable global spots, including near-peer competitor launch areas that are otherwise dark. In time, the greatest advantage of the RUBY SKY project will be to completely nullify any strategic advantage provided to U.S. near-peer competitors by hypersonic vehicles.

JAM: Jervis Autonomy Module 

JAM is a plug-and-play satellite subcomponent enabling onboard autonomous navigation of any size spacecraft. JAM significantly decreases the cost, labor, and frequency of communications for maneuvering in cislunar space by removing the need for two-way ranging. JAM enables scalability of satellite constellations in cislunar space by reducing the required labor by 80% and provides the ability to operate satellites in GPS denied environments.

JAM is based on a proprietary deep space navigation algorithm that enabled NASA's Deep Impact mission to autonomously steer a projectile into a comet at a speed of 22,000 mph, resulting in an explosion equivalent to 4.8 tons of TNT. This innovative navigational technology is named after the late scholar and geographic engineer Major Thomas Best Jervis, who led the establishment of the U.K.'s Department of Topography and Statistics in 1855, which eventually became the first government-established Intelligence Branch.

Rhea Space Activity to fly navigation payloads on lunar lander mission, SpaceNews, 2024-03-06.

• Rhea Space Activity announced March 6 it won a $750,000 NASA grant through the agency’s TechFlights solicitation to fly two of its Jervis Autonomy Module (JAM) units on a lunar lander mission led by Draper scheduled to launch in 2026.
• The JAM units will be installed on two spacecraft that will operate in lunar orbit, serving as communications relays for the APEX 1.0 lander that ispace U.S. will design and operate for the Draper-led mission to the far side of the moon.
• Each JAM will include a camera that Rhea Space Activity is also developing. Besides being used for celestial navigation, the cameras will be able to take high-resolution images of the lunar surface for mapping and other uses.
• Ron Garan, chief executive of ispace U.S., said the JAM units are the first commercial rideshare payloads for that mission. The lander is flying three NASA geophysical and space science instruments as part of the CLPS award. 
• Rhea Space Activity has been working on JAM for several years, and secured investment from SpaceFund in 2021 to support its development.
• The company sees other applications for JAM beyond lunar missions. “This technology allows spacecraft to operate autonomously and undetected, even in environments without GPS, helping our defense network to operate seamlessly on orbit,” said Samuel Lee, chief financial officer of Rhea Space Activity, in a statement.

LUNINT

RSA is providing a gateway to Lunar Intelligence (LUNINT), and to understanding what is happening, and what will soon happen, in cislunar space. RSA is the world's singular trailblazer in the field of LUNINT – a new intelligence field our scientists are defining based on aspirational requirements and parameters provided by the U.S. intelligence community and trusted Five Eyes partners.

RSA leads the way in defining the hundreds of thousands of miles of open space between the surface of the Earth and the Moon. And, RSA is advancing overall abilities to provide monitoring and analysis of activity on the Moon, as well as the trajectories, and even the intentions, of near-peer competitor spacecraft to benefit U.S. national security, the safety of lanes of space travel between the Earth and the Moon, and the integrity of the Moon’s surface. LUNINT is a superset.

Spacebilt (SkyCorp) page at Factories in Space

Skycorp's mission is to fundamentally transform the spacecraft industry, utilizing orbital assembly process, electric propulsion, and modular construction, to create applications unthinkable before.

Skycorp Inc. (Santa Clara, California) is building the Orbital Logistics Vehicle (OLV). This is the world’s first fully reusable spacecraft, through propulsion system “reprovisioning” which eliminates refueling and the ability to easily swap out payloads as customer needs and markets change. The OLV’s operational range is the inner solar system and its diverse payloads include RF, Optical, tug, and robotic servicing.

The Skycorp Orbital Logistics Vehicle ushers in a new age in satellite architecture. A space platform with a common interface bus allows customized payloads from third parties to be hosted in space. The OLV does for satellites what Open Compute did for data center design. 

The Orbital Logistics Vehicle is launched in a protective container and assembled on-orbit at the International Space Station. This enables a lighter weight design while still protecting it from launch loads.

Skycorp Incorporated is pleased to announce the launch of the “intelligent Space Systems Interface Flight Qualification Experiment (iSSIFQE)” as part of the Northrop Grumman’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the orbiting laboratory, contracted by NASA. This payload is a flight qualification of the intelligent Space System Interface (iSSI) robotic data and power transfer connector, built by iBOSS GmbH of Aachen Germany. This connector can transfer up to 5 kilowatts of power, 1,000 BaseT Ethernet, and medium data rate CANBus serial data.

Skycorp was founded to develop and deploy advanced space systems. Skycorp began by developing the avionics and power system for the Space America launch vehicle in 1998.

Satellite In-Space Assembly

In the second Space Act agreement, NASA entered into a contract with SkyCorp of Huntsville, Alabama, announced on October 20, 2000. NASA will allow SkyCorp to construct a satellite aboard ISS, and use NASA astronauts to deploy it from the ISS during an EV A where the astronaut will give the satellite a gentle push away from the space station.· SkyCorp currently envisions a February, 2002 launch date for its first prototype satellite, and hopes to build a constellation of LEO satellites to serve the Third Generation (3G) market for wireless Internet access.

Since its founding Dennis Wingo has worked through Skycorp to develop further the concept of orbital assembly of spacecraft. This is bearing fruit with a growing customer base and opportunities.

DIU MultiOrbit Logistics Vehicle

Dennis and the Skycorp team currently have multiple commercial and Defense Department contracts such as the DIU MultiOrbit Logistics Vehicle. We are sending a payload to the Moon next year for LoneStar LLC and have just signed contracts for our avionics systems. Onward and upward.

The Skycorp Orbital Logistics Vehicle ushers in a new age in satellite architecture. A space platform with a common interface bus allows customized payloads from third parties to be hosted in space. The OLV does for satellites what Open Compute did for data center design.

The Intelligent Space Systems Interface is the backbone of the OLV architecture. Delivering a standard bus interface with power, connectivity, bandwidth and physical rigidity, iSSI enables flexible integration.

The Orbital Logistics Vehicle is launched in a protective container and assembled on-orbit at the International Space Station. This enables a lighter weight design while still protecting it from launch loads.

Skycorp's architecture enables the integration of modular payloads. Powered by the iSSI and Skycorp's software architecture, the OLV brings the benefits of modern cloud computing infrastructure to space vehicles.

Companies selected for DIU Orbital Logistics Vehicle Project moving forward with prototypes, 2024-03-21.

• Using commercial technology to facilitate greater in-space mobility for the Department of Defense (DoD), the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is working with three companies to provide logistics services enabling low-cost, responsive access to GEO and other exotic orbits beyond LEO).
• Spacebilt was awarded a contract for further validation of their approach In Space Assembly and Manufacturing for enabling their m-OLV product for DoD use cases.
• Since the award, Spacebilt has progressed toward a mass manufacturable product, conducted risk reduction missions to the International Space Station for their flight hardware, and maturity of their commercially available avionics hardware.
• Spacebilt is working toward a Q4 2026 launch for the first mOLV STARcraft.

MacIntosh Cube

Skycorp had the first commercial space act agreements with NASA in to fly a MacIntosh Cube as a web server in 2000. The Dot Com crash ended that effort. However, during the prosecution of the project a patent was applied for and later granted (6,491,256) that covers the means by which satellite components are carried to the station in a manner that protects them from the vibration environment.

intelligent Space Systems Interface (iSSI) Flight Qualification Experiment (FQE)

Launch of the “intelligent Space Systems Interface Flight Qualification Experiment (iSSIFQE)” as part of the Northrop Grumman’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission in 2022 to the orbiting laboratory, contracted by NASA. This payload is a flight qualification of the intelligent Space System Interface (iSSI) robotic data and power transfer connector, built by iBOSS GmbH of Aachen Germany. This connector can transfer up to 5 kilowatts of power, 1,000 BaseT Ethernet, and medium data rate CANBus serial data. Skycorp is also flight qualifying the “Polarfire” multicore RISC-V System on a Chip (SoC) from Microchip.

To accurately characterize the radiation environment for the computers involved and define the radiation environment on the Kibo External Facility, the ARMAS 9 radiation sensor package from Space Environmental Technologies and the Luilin Linear Energy Transfer (LET) sensor are also part of the iSSIFQE. The iSSIFQE will be installed on the Japanese Kibo External Facility for qualification in the relevant space environment (NASA TRL-7 level). This experiment will operate for 6-9 months and will be returned to the Earth for detailed examination after operations are complete.

The long term goal of this flight qualification is the incorporation of the iSSI, the Polarfire SoC, and the ARMAS 9 as standard modular hardware for the Skycorp Orbital Logistics Vehicle (OLV) which won a highly competitive award from the DoD Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) for the Multi-Orbit Logistics Vehicle initiative. Skycorp and iBoss GmbH are also offering the hardware and software qualified for this mission to the spaceflight community to help foster advances in the state of the art in On Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (OSAM), in space.

Orbital Recovery

In 2001 Skycorp founder Wingo Co-founded Orbital Recovery. This company was founded to develop the market for the on orbit servicing of GEO Communications Satellites. With funding provided by telecommunications billionaire Walter Anderson, the company moved quickly into this business, capturing customers and developing the technology necessary to succeed in the business. However, this project stalled when Mr. Anderson was arrested and later convicted of federal tax fraud. Dennis developed his second patent (6,945,500) during his tenure working with Orbital Recovery.

Watts on the Moon

Skycorp won a NASA Centennial Prize for "Watts on the Moon" in 2021 and we continue with our advanced systems development. Skycorp also has the first Web Server on the International Space Station and this is how we control our current flight systems.

Solideon (Additive Space Technologies) page at Factories in Space

We are 3D-printing Humanity's Future through the Solar System! Aperture, an aircraft hangar-sized 3D-printer that will build all things aerospace on Earth, space stations in orbit, and infrastructure on other planets.

Transforming the way aerospace vehicles are manufactured with the vertically integrated “Aperture” additive manufacturing system, a machine-learning collaborative system for building vehicles and infrastructure on Earth, the Moon, or Mars.

LEAP71 and Solideon Partner to Advance Space Hardware, 2024-03-18.

• “Solideon, a US-based provider of collaborative robotic metal 3D printing systems, and LEAP 71, a Dubai-based developer of computational and AI-based engineering technology, today signed a strategic agreement to collaborate on the design and production of multi-meter-scale hardware for space applications.
• The two companies will work together to build metal structures of significant scale with the eventual goal of enabling off-planet production.

Solideon wants to decentralize rocket manufacturing through 3D printing, 2024-10-28.

• “What we really do is build robots for deployable microfactories that help 3D-print and assemble large aerospace structures and products,” says Taiwo.
• “The reason that matters is you can decentralize manufacturing and actually get closer to building an entire product without any human intervention in the loop. Our long-term goal is to do that anywhere in the solar system at any point.”
• Manufacturing for space in space is still a ways off, naturally. In the meantime, the company is focused on solving more immediate-term problems, with an eye on defense contracts. 

Space Applications Services page at Factories in Space

We develop systems and payloads for the International Space Station (ISS), on-orbit servicing and lunar destinations. We also develop robotic and rover systems, complete ground segment solutions, control centres, while providing operations and astronaut training services. Through our ICE Cubes service, our customers can have access to the ISS; and in the near future to commercial Low Earth Orbit stations in development.

Skybeam: Assembly of a Space Solar Power system with European Technologies

• November 2021 to November 2022
• Advanced green energy generation concepts like space-based solar power (SBSP) have extensively been studied in the past, but have not been implemented due to several challenges.  One of these key challenges is the fact that solar power satellites demand tremendously large infrastructures, that require numerous launches with large masses.
• Advanced green energy generation concepts like space-based solar power (SBSP) have extensively been studied in the past, but have not been implemented due to several challenges.  One of these key challenges is the fact that solar power satellites demand tremendously large infrastructures, that require numerous launches with large masses.
• This study idea aims to give a new look at the assembly of a SBSP station based on strategic technologies being developed in Europe, in particular: HOTDOCK modular interfaces allowing the interconnection of structures (part of the PER ASPERA programme)A number of Multi-Arm Robot (MAR) (being developed in the ESA MIRROR project) The concept foresees multiple multi-axis robots that create the vast (km-scale) structural elements of the solar power satellite by mounting standardized construction elements together.ness. Various enabling technologies for space robotics are being developed in collaboration between ESA, National Agencies, the EU and Industry as part of the PER ASPERA programme.
• The concept foresees multiple multi-axis robots that create the vast (km-scale) structural elements of the solar power satellite by mounting standardized construction elements  together. To do so, the robots are potentially attached to a central truss girder and slide up and down, or translate through HOTDOCK-compatible interfaces along the ever-growing spacecraft-structure.  The study will use existing reference architectures and focus on the in-orbit construction process of extremely large infrastructure.

Space Copy page at Factories in Space

Space Copy Inc is an up-and-coming industry disrupter creating innovative solutions and transforming human exploration methods to the Moon and Mars.

Space Copy is the first multi-purpose interplanetary manufacturing device that combines lunar regolith sampling, spectral data analysis, and 3D printing into one mechanism.

Space Copy works to reduce the costs of frequent payload service missions, and well as reduce the amount of pollution and debris emitted by continuous resupply missions sent to the lunar surface to sustain long-term human presence by providing an in-situ resource utilization technology to be used directly on the Moon and Mars to create supplies needed to sustain human life. 

Space Quarters page at Factories in Space

Innovative In-Space Construction welding robot system of Space Quarters.

Space Quarters addresses this challenge by utilizing a space construction robot system that enables assembly in space. This approach allows for the construction of large-scale bases and space infrastructure at a dramatically lower cost, accelerating humanity's expansion into space and realizing a world where humans live in space.

SpaceCrane page at Factories in Space

Unique solutions for in-orbit assembly and manufacturing of large structures in space.

Tethers Unlimited (ARKA, Amergint Technology) page at Factories in Space

Develop products based on tether technologies, including solutions for cleaning up space debris and transporting people and payloads through space. Tethers Unlimited’s mission is to build a robust in-space economy that will serve the people of Earth and enable humanity to become a spacefaring society.

Tethers Unlimited

Tethers Unlimited is developing a number of new technologies, including a satellite servicer called LEO Knight, a passive deorbit system called Terminator Tape, and HyperBus, an in-space manufacturing platform.

Building upon its successes developing high-performance component technologies to power the SmallSat revolution, TUI is now developing key technologies to enable a range of in-space services, including: in-space servicing and refueling of satellites, in-space manufacturing of satellite components, in-space assembly of space systems, and in-space networking to support advanced space missions.

Refabricator

Demonstrate in-space recycling and manufacturing to support long-duration manned space missions.

Payload called the Refabricator™ combines a plastic recycling system with a 3D printer to enable astronauts to recycle plastic waste into high-quality 3D printer filament, and then use that filament to fabricate new parts, medical implements, food utensils, and other items that the astronauts need to maintain their spacecraft and perform their missions.

ERASMUS Phase II SBIR
ERASMUS is the next-generation integrated 3D Printer/Recycler/Sterilizer for closed-loop recycling during space missions and will result in the first-generation Exploration recycling/sterilization system. Made possible through SBIR awards to TUI, ERASMUS builds on the lessons learned from the TUI-developed Refabricator, while also incorporating the additional capability of sterilization. ERASMUS integrates a plastics recycler, dry heat sterilizer, and 3D printer to create a system that accepts previously-used plastic waste and parts, sterilizes these used materials, recycles them into food-grade and medical-grade 3D printer filament, and 3D prints new plastic implements, including those that are food and medical safe.

SpiderFab

Developing a suite of technologies called "SpiderFab" to enable on-orbit fabrication of large spacecraft components such as antennas, solar panels, trusses, and other multifunctional structures. This includes Trusselator to create lengthy carbon composite structures and OrbWeaver to create satellite antenna.

KRAKEN

Introducing our highly functional KRAKEN® robotic arm, we bring the space economy and industry together. Building the infrastructure needed to support a robust and sustainable in-space economy will require advanced and affordable robotic tools.

TUI has developed the KRAKEN robotic arm to provide the space industry with a compact, high-performance, and cost-effective manipulator to enable small spacecraft to perform in-space assembly, manufacturing, and servicing missions.

The standard KRAKEN configuration is a 1 m, 7 degree-of-freedom arm that can stow in a 19cm x 27cm x 36cm volume, but KRAKEN has a modular design that can be configured to optimize it for your mission application. It integrates a hot-swappable end-effector interface that enables the arm to use a variety of tools. With high speed force sensing in each joint, and an embedded controller supporting force control capabilities, KRAKEN is uniquely capable of supporting the next generation of small robotic spacecraft which is hard to find in many robotic arms.

In-Space Servicing

At TUI we value your passion and want to sustain you with the best in-space servicing you will find. Building the infrastructure needed to support a robust and sustainable in-space economy will require robotic systems able to assemble space systems, fix malfunctioning spacecraft, refuel satellites, and deliver cargo from one orbit to another. To meet these needs, TUI is developing the LEO Knight, a microsat-class spacecraft that integrates TUI’s KRAKEN robotic arm along with servicing tools and refueling components. LEO Knight will provide the capability to assemble ESPA-class modules together to form persistent space platforms, capture space debris and transport it to recycling hubs, and refuel and repair small satellites.
 

In-Space Manufacturing

TUI is developing technical solutions to enable sustainable in-space manufacturing to support long duration manned missions and the creation of the infrastructure needed for exploration and settlement of our solar system. TUI’s work is addressing the full spectrum of the ‘in-space supply chain’, from how we obtain materials in space, to how we transform those materials into things of value, to how we use components manufactured in space to deliver new services to customers in space and on Earth with in-space manufacturing.  

To lower the cost of obtaining material for manufacturing in space, TUI is developing ways to recycle ‘space trash’, such as plastic and metal waste aboard the ISS or pieces of spent rockets, to create feedstock for additive and subtractive manufacturing. In 2018, TUI installed a payload called the “Refabricator” aboard the ISS to demonstrate close-cycle recycling and 3D printing of plastic parts, and it is currently working to develop metal recycling and manufacturing technologies for NASA’s “FabLab” system for in-situ precision manufacturing of mission-critical parts.

To enable creation of antennas, solar arrays, and telescopes that are larger than can be fit into a rocket, TUI is currently preparing a flight experiment called “MakerSat”, which will demonstrate in-space manufacture of very large composite structures. Essentially, MakerSat will manufacture carbon-fiber 2-by-4’s that in the future can be used to assemble very large structures to support antennas, solar sails, solar arrays, or even habitats.

In-Space Assembly

To enable development of the next-generation of space systems supporting DoD, NASA, and commercial enterprises, TUI is developing capabilities for in-space assembly of modular space systems. Key technologies in development, including the KRAKEN® robotic arm, AXON™ connector, and DACTYLUS servicing tool, will enable small robotic systems to assemble large space systems, such as telescopes, communications satellites, and even space stations, out of smaller components that can be launched affordably and responsively by taking advantage of small launch vehicles and secondary payload ride opportunities. In-space assembly will enable creation of space systems offering dramatically higher resolution, bandwidth, sensitivity, and power, all at lower cost than traditional ground-built satellite systems.

In-Space Networking

As the space economy grows, the need for continual, high-throughput data networking will become increasingly important. TUI is building upon its industry-leading SWIFT software defined radio technology to create new capabilities to support networked satellite communications. Among these is SWIFT-LINQ, an IP-based mesh networking solution that enables multiple satellites to easily and rapidly exchange data, providing transformative capabilities for coordinated operations, data relays, and distributed data processing.

TGV Rockets page at Factories in Space

A merchant supplier of liquid propulsion to the Small Launch and Small Satellite Community,

TGV Rockets is hoping to demonstrate the use of Ultrasonic AM (UAM) for the repair of a damaged structure or to build a new one.

According to the Washington D.C.-based company, UAM allows for 3D printing metals in space with very low energy, relatively low pressure, low temperatures, and the flexibility to print a myriad of different metals and metal combinations.

The ideal end-product is a UAM ultrasonic weld head that incorporates metal material feed through while on a robotic arm. If everything goes according to plan, the technology might provide off-Earth repairs at 97% of original material properties.

NASA researchers are searching for autonomous in-space welding capabilities that could enable on-orbit servicing, assembly, and manufacturing needed for longer space missions such as a lunar or Martian base.

Large structure repair via UAM, 2021

The goal of this program is to demonstrate the use of Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing (UAM) for the repair of a damaged structure or to build a new structure. UAM allows for 3D printing metals in space with very low energy, relatively low pressure, low temperatures, and the flexibility to print a myriad of different metals and metal combinations. The ultimately envisioned end-product is a UAM ultrasonic weld head that incorporates metal material feed through while on a robotic arm. This will provide off earth repairs at 97% of original material properties.

Solid State Welding for Space

TGV proposes to build a modular testbed that can scale ultrasonic additive manufacturing and test multiple material combinations in vacuum conditions. A lighter smaller sonotrode will be developed which will be tracable to testing on ISS or future space platforms but can serve to mature solid state welding designs and concepts in the current era

ThinkOrbital (Think Orbital) page at Factories in Space

ThinkOrbital delivers a large, scalable and cost-efficient space structure for the New Space economy. Our ThinkPlatforms are based on mature technologies available today, configured for single-launch, autonomous assembly in-orbit, re-imagining opportunities for satellite servicing, space debris processing, in-space manufacturing, on-orbit storage, refuelling, space tourism and research.

Accelerating commercialisation of cis-lunar Space. Our mission is to develop the technologies for assembly of large pressure vessels in space and apply these technologies to build large and scalable space stations.

Proposals from three relatively unknown companies — Maverick Space Systems, Orbital Assembly Company and ThinkOrbital — received “red” scores for both technical and business, while a fourth, Space Villages, received a red technical score and a yellow business score.

Our vision for the NewSpace ecosystem involves a network of our Orb2 serving as a versatile space platform for OSAM technologies over many orbits. We're actively engaging partners in areas of refueling, manufacturing in space, recycling and other operators that may benefit from our large storing and processing facilities in space.

Roadmap: Human Orb2 operational around 2028-2031.

The company’s spherical habitat, called ThinkPlatform, would be assembled in space using a robotic arm. Rosen said it could operate as a component of a larger commercial station or docked with a space vehicle like SpaceX’s Starship. He said the future of in-space manufacturing remains unclear but could gain momentum when commercial companies start deploying space stations in LEO. The expectation is that high-speed computer chips, fiber optics or pharmaceutical products will be manufactured in space, “but the reason why in-space manufacturing doesn’t exist on a large scale is because there’s nowhere to do it. They just don’t have the room on the International Space Station to do all of the things that could be done.”

ThinkOrbital announces it has been selected by SpaceWERX for a STTR Phase I in the amount of US$ 250,000 to investigate how it’s Orbital Platform Unified System for On-Orbit Service and Assembly (OPUS-OSA) can enable In-space Service Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM) capabilities being explored by the Department of the Air Force (DAF) and United States Space Force (USSF) through the Orbital Prime program. The OPUS-OSA platform is a collaboration between ThinkOrbital, Redwire Space and Thunderbird Global School of Management (part of Arizona State University).

NASA will partner with seven U.S. companies to meet future commercial and government needs, ultimately benefitting human spaceflight and the U.S. commercial low Earth orbit economy. Through unfunded Space Act Agreements, the second Collaborations for Commercial Space Capabilities-2 initiative (CCSC-2) is designed to advance commercial space-related efforts through NASA contributions of technical expertise, assessments, lessons learned, technologies, and data. ThinkOrbital is collaborating with NASA on the development of ThinkPlatforms and CONTESA (Construction Technologies for Space Applications). ThinkPlatforms are self-assembling, single-launch, large-scale orbital platforms that facilitate a wide array of applications in low Earth orbit, including in-space research, manufacturing, and astronaut missions. CONTESA features welding, cutting, inspection, and additive manufacturing technologies, and aids in large-scale in-space fabrication.

Space Welding

First-ever autonomous in-space weld to the historic return of flown-in-space Electron-beam welder samples. Launched on Falcon-9 first stage as a suborbital mission.

Space-made weld scrutinised in ESA lab, 2024-10-10.

Satellite repair toolkit with X-ray vision

ThinkOrbital developing satellite repair toolkit with X-ray vision, SpaceNews, 2024-05-28.

• ThinkOrbital later in 2024 will attempt to demonstrate a robotic arm in space equipped with a welder gun that could be used to repair and take X-ray images of satellites. 
• May's experiment validated ThinkOrbital’s core welding technology by performing autonomous welding tests of aluminum samples during the suborbital flight.
• For its self-funded demonstration in October, the company plans to test a robotic arm equipped with an electronic beam welder that can also generate X-rays to inspect objects in space. This X-ray capability has piqued the interest of the U.S. military as a possible way to identify potential threats in orbit.
• ThinkOrbital has secured a U.S. Air Force Phase 1 Small Business Innovative Research contract to investigate satellite-to-satellite X-ray inspection and is applying for Phase 2 funding.
• Rosen said the October demonstration of the robotic toolkit is being funded with the company’s pre-seed round. ThinkOrbital is kicking off a seed funding round next month.

ThinkOrbital has been awarded a SBIR Phase II contract from SpaceWERX to develop groundbreaking X-ray inspection technology for spacecraft!.

United Space Structures page at Factories in Space

Developing Lunar Infrastructure for exploration and commerce that is scalable on the Moon, Mars, and beyond to enable a sustainable human presence for a spacefaring civilization.

As of early 2023, the 4 listed fields on the website are:

• Cislunar Space Logistics
• Lunar Data Centers
• Robots + AI
• Lunar Facilities

Our mission is to build a large self-sustaining facility that will house hundreds of people and to start construction by 2026. United Space Structures (USS) has developed a unique construction process for building very large permanent structures within lunar lava tubes. The advantage of building within lava tubes is that the lava tube provides protection from radiation and meteor strikes and so the habitat structure does not require to be hardened from these elements. The structures only need to create an atmospheric structurally stable enclosure that is thermally insulated.

A robotics company for manufacturing and construction in space using 3D printing/additive manufacturing.

United Space Structures (USS) wants to build data centers on the moon for Earth-based backups and for lunar activities.